


The Song of Seven Hearts

by EarendilElwing



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Fantasy, Fantasy-style Violence, Fluff, Forced drug experimentation, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, M/M, Swearing, accidental exposure to hallucinogenic drugs, life reflection, mention of death of a minor, minor spoilers of season 8 events
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-17
Updated: 2018-07-10
Packaged: 2019-04-24 07:23:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 27,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14350686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EarendilElwing/pseuds/EarendilElwing
Summary: Perhaps all the head trauma he’d suffered over the years had finally caught up with Steve.  The last he’d checked, he did not live in a fantasy world straight out of an RPG.  His partner had not been a cursed elemental, Chin and Kono were not nature nymphs, and Lou had not been a medieval knight.  And since when did Steve have wings and healing powers?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Big thanks to my cousin Nicki, who agreed to beta read this, even though she has now idea what Hawaii Five-0 is :).
> 
> Due to unforeseen circumstances, my original artist [stompfortherain](https://stompfortherain.tumblr.com) had to pull out of doing the big bang, but she's been a big encouragement, so give her some love.
> 
> Currently, there is no art for this story, but that is likely to change. I will post links at a later date.

Danny was sulking.

Steve was used to it.  Under most circumstances, he’d allow his partner to say - or shout, as was often the case - his piece, and then he’d point out all the flaws in Danny’s logic.  They’d bicker back and forth, usually more for the pleasure of it than from any place of true anger, until eventually, they’d either get bored or someone (Danny) would give up.  Whoever lost their verbal wrestling match (Danny again) would pout for a few minutes, Steve would inwardly gloat, and they’d move on.

Unfortunately, he was being particularly bull-headed regarding their latest disagreement, and it was quite irritating.

Steve ceased drumming his fingers on the steering wheel and adjusted his TAC vest for the fifth time in as many minutes.  

In the backseat of the Camaro, Eddie sat up and stuck his head over the center console.  When neither he nor Danny made a move to open their doors, he whined and nudged at Steve’s neck with his wet nose.

“Sorry, buddy.  Not yet.” Steve raised a hand to scratch the dog’s ear, pointedly ignored Danny’s petulant huff, and surveyed their surroundings for any changes.

It was early in the morning, and the three of them were parked along a deserted dirt road near the Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park.  With the engine off and the windows rolled down, one would think they’d be hearing the bird songs and insect chirps that accompanied the rising of the sun, but all was still and quiet.

Moreover, it had rained last night and that, along with the cooler than average temperature, had produced a low hanging mist that blanketed the ground and curled around the trunks of the trees.  It shadowed the whole area in a thin, white shroud, and veiled the vibrant hues of the local flora and fauna in shades of grey.

If Steve was at all superstitious, he’d even go so far as to call it spooky.  But they weren’t in an area known to have any sacred significance (he might not believe all the old stories, but he certainly respected them), he could only assume the apprehension in his gut had more to do with the op than the haunting environment.

Or maybe it was because Danny, in especially annoying form today, would not stop staring at him.

“I know what you’re doing, and it’s not going to work,” Steve told him.

“Just hear me out,” Danny replied at once.

“For the last time, I am NOT going to New York with you.”

“Why not?” Danny griped.  “The governor said we had three months to complete some sort of partnership workshop or counseling.  Not only does this conference meet the requirements for the number of hours and due dates, but it’s specifically geared towards law enforcement officials with high-stress jobs.”

“Again with the stress management,” Steve grumbled.  “You’re starting to sound like a broken record.”

“Maybe I wouldn’t have to if you ever took any of my concerns seriously.”

Steve rolled his eyes.  “Come on, Danno. You know I do.”  

“I think it’ll be good for us to get away for awhile,” Danny persisted.  “Sometimes the best way to bring clarity or insight to a situation is to completely remove yourself from it for a bit.”

“Oh really?  To which situation are you referring to, and what insight do you think I’m lacking?”

Danny smacked him in the arm.  “You can tone down the sarcasm, Steven.  I’m not trying to be critical here.”

“Well, that would be a first.  But I was serious too. What do you, in all your infinite wisdom, think I’m missing here?”

Danny gave him a haughty grin.  “Oh, way too many things to name, babe.”

Steve didn’t dignify that with a response.

Danny rubbed the back of his neck with a tired exhale.  “Come on, Steve. We’ve been fighting a lot lately, and between the restaurant and the new recruits, we can’t seem to find time to talk about it.”

“We can hash it out right now, if you want.”

“Really?  When we’re waiting for everyone to get in place for the big takedown?  You think _now’s_ a good time to talk about six month’s worth of issues?”

Steve shrugged.  “Why not?”

Danny tilted his head back and threw up his hands in a ‘why me?’ gesture.  “See, this is what I’m talking about - the insight you are severely lacking.  There’s a time and a place for these things, and right before arresting a dangerous criminal is not it.”

“Maybe, but if it’s bothering you this much, isn’t it better to do it now?  Get it over with so it doesn't snowball?” Steve picked up his takeout coffee and took a sip.

“I will concede your point,” Danny admitted, causing Steve to grin around his cup.  “However, you and I have reached a point in our relationship where spontaneity is no longer as much of a feature, nor does it accomplish its goal.  It’s like sex that way.”

Steve had made the poor choice to take another drink, and the random mention of sex caused him to choke.  He sputtered and pounded his fist against his chest. “E-excuse me?” He wasn’t shy when it came to discussing that particular topic, but Danny’s decision to bring it up while talking about the context of their relationship was not a frequent occurrence.  It made Steve wonder if his partner was prone to the same fantasies that he’d been indulging lately.

“Yes, Steven.  Talking about our problems can be like sex, in that sometimes it’s counterproductive to take part in it in the spur-of-the-moment, or it can be easily pushed aside in favor of other things.  At some point, the best option is to plan it out, put it on a non-negotiable schedule and make sure to have it in a distraction-free environment.”

“Ah,” Steve said.

It wasn’t the worst idea.  In fact, Steve liked the idea of taking a trip with Danny, just the two of them.  It would give him the perfect opportunity to address what he believed to be the root cause of their tension, that being this unspoken _thing_ between them.

This thing, that they never named, but had them sacrificing for one another without a thought.  It was the thing that caused Danny to look at Steve in a way he never had in regards to Melissa, and Steve knew he didn’t with Lynn, and perhaps even Catherine if he was being totally honest with himself.

In preparation for this conversation, Steve had broken up with Lynn, talked to Lou about the potential impact on the team and consulted Adam on the best way to broach the subject with Danny.  He had a solid case prepared and was ready with counterarguments to any protest Danny might throw at him. All he needed was the right time and place, which a joint vacation could theoretically provide.  He had some great romantic ideas, and enough connections to pull it off at a moment’s notice if need be, but he needed to get Danny on board with _his_ plans.

“Alright, but New York in February?  It’s going to be fucking freezing there.  You know I hate the cold.”

“And I hate all this Hawaiian heat and humidity, but I’ve learned to deal.  I have complete faith that you can survive one week of a real winter.  Not to mention, we’ll be indoors most of the time.”

Steve pinched the bridge of his nose.  “Look, I’m not opposed to going to counseling.  I just think we should find someplace closer to home.”

“It’s close to MY home,” Danny reminded him.

And there was the proverbial rub.  Despite the fact that Danny referred to Hawaii as home too, and regardless of all the plans they were making for their retirement, New Jersey still held sway over a piece of his heart.  And no matter what he may have told Tani, Steve could never rid himself of the small sense of fear any time Danny informed him that he was leaving to visit friends and family on the east coast.  

Steve wasn’t prone to anxiety and pessimism like his best friend, but a tiny voice in the back of his mind often whispered, _‘What if?’_.  What if next time, Danny didn’t come back?  What if he decided he couldn’t bear to be apart from his parents and sisters anymore?  What if he went to consult on a cold case at the bidding of his old captain and got hurt, or worse?  What if he ran into an old flame and (since he and Melissa were no longer together) rekindled a romance for which he was willing to relocate in order to pursue?

Danny huffed and crossed his arms.  “If you can find a better option, then I’ll consider it.  But I really want to go to this one, and if you’d let me say my piece, I could make a very good case for it.”

“You mean you’ll keep bugging me about it until I give in,” Steve translated.

“That too.”

“Danny, I am not - repeat NOT - going to a partnership workshop in New York.”

“But-”

Steve’s phone vibrated loud enough to halt the impending argument.

“End of discussion,” Steve declared.  “We’ve got a job to do.”

Danny sighed, but he closed his mouth.  He might be more emotional and expressive than most, but he could focus and compartmentalize with the best of them when he needed to.

Steve pressed the answer button and put the phone on speaker.  “Hey Jerry. Danny, Eddie and I are parked at the edge of the rental property where Aaron Caapi is hiding out.  Is everyone else in position?”

“Yes, sir.  I’ve got everyone conferenced in.”

Lou Grover began the sound off.  “I’ve got Tani and three SWAT teams stationed about a block away from the cartel’s headquarters.  We’re laying low and ready to go on your command.”

“Ditto at the distribution center,” said Sergeant Duke Lukela.  My officers, led by myself and Junior are all set the seize the warehouse.”

Adam Noshimura rounded out the role call.  “And I’ve got the arrest warrants for the top executives responsible for bankrolling the cartel with embezzled funds.  I’ll escort the district attorney and HPD to pick them up.”

“Good,” Steve acknowledged.  “The plan is to hit each key location at the same time and take down all the major players at once.  And there’s still at least five kids missing. With any luck, we’ll find them alive. Alicia thinks they’re mostly likely being held at the cartel headquarters, so Lou, Tani - go easy on the gunfire.  EMS will be on standby for you.”

“Roger that,” Tani said.

“Jerry, you monitor us from HQ and keep everyone updated with any developments.”

“You can count on me,” Jerry assured them.

“Also, remember that in addition to heroin, these guys are responsible for the recent flood of _Wonderland_ on the streets.  It’s a hallucinogenic cocktail that’s extremely dangerous at tiny amounts.  Take extra care to protect yourselves from accidental exposure when you’re making the arrests and gathering up evidence.

“Good luck, everyone!  We’ll see you back at the palace.”  Steve’s sentiment was echoed by the others.  He ended the call.

“Alright, let’s double check our gear before we go.”  Steve opened the car door and moved the seat to let Eddie out.  The dog hopped down, shook his body and stretched with a big yawn.

Danny circled around to the back of the Camaro and opened the trunk to retrieve their weapons.  He tossed Steve an MP5 and slung a second over his shoulder. After making sure the service pistol at his waist was loaded and his vest was stocked with extra ammo clips, he was ready to go.

Steve did likewise, but he stored his handgun in his thigh holster.  He gave Danny a once-over, clipped Eddie’s leash onto his vest, and signaled to both to move out.

The three of them began to pick their way through the trees, heading east towards a secluded, beachside cabin.  The property was owned by a local couple, who usually rented it out to honeymooning tourists. But over the past several weeks, they had leased it to Aaron Caapi, a young man claiming to be on a spiritual sabbatical after being discharged from the military.  He had been polite and sincere, and paid cash up front. The owners had been horrified when Five-0 showed up at their door and told them their tenant was wanted in connection with illegal drug manufacturing.

“I hate this,” Danny complained, his voice low.  “I can think of a million other things I’d rather be doing at six a.m. on a Monday morning.”

“Oh, please,” Steve retorted.  “The only thing you’d be doing is sleeping.”

Danny went on as though he hadn’t said anything.  “But instead, we’re stuck tromping through the woods, when we could have driven right up to the house.”

“We’re trying to maintain the element of surprise,” Steve reminded him.  “The perp would be able to spot us a long way off if we took the in-road, and be gone before we got halfway there.”

Danny was well aware of that, but he was on edge.  He had been for most of the investigation, and since complaining was his equivalent of meditative breathing, Steve indulged him.

“And I still think we should have brought more back-up.”

“We’ll be fine, Danny.”

“May I remind you that this guy is a disgraced Marine, with a bachelor's degree in biochemistry or biology or whatever, and he has absolutely no qualms about injecting kids with experimental drugs?  Also, this guy is ten years younger than us and probably has about a dozen fewer scars.”

Steve scowled and tightened his fingers around Eddie’s leash.  His friend was edging closer towards an increasing sore spot between them.  “Danny…” he warned.

“Oh, you’ll be fine, I’m sure,” Danny snarked.  “But between my bum knee and all the recent scares we’ve had, I’m not anxious to go a few rounds with any crazy perps without number and weapons superiority.”

“We _have_ superiority in numbers.  In case you’ve forgotten how to count, there’s three of us and only one of him.”

“Yes,” drawled Danny in a patronizing tone, “but one of us hasn’t had any good meals recently because he can’t keep anything down.  And malnutrition tends to make one weak.”

“I’ve done far more dangerous missions on far less,” Steve pointed out through clenched teeth.

“When you were in your twenties and not suffering from radiation poisoning!”

Steve went rigid with fury.  “You think I’m not strong enough?  Worried I’ll start vomiting in the middle of a fight?”

“No, Steve-”

He’d had enough.  “Shut up, okay? Just shut up!”

“Look, what I’m trying to say is-”

“Dammit, Danny!  Do you ever stop talking?  You got some kind of word quota that you need to fill every day?”

“Hey!”

“You know, sometimes I wish there was a limit on how many times you’re allowed to speak in a day,” Steve blurted out.

Danny looked about ready to punch him in the face.  “Oh yeah? And how many times would you deem acceptable?”

“I don’t know.  Seven, maybe. Isn’t that the universal lucky number?”  Steve glanced up and smiled slowly, pretending to drift off into his imagination.  “Picture a world where Danny Williams only speaks when he has something worthwhile to say, instead of just spouting off every little thing that pops into his head.  I can almost hear it - the sound of blissful silence.”

“Okay, I get it, asshole,” Danny snapped.  “Let’s go get this over with.”

Steve rolled his eyes and tried not to groan in exasperation.

It wasn’t like he wasn’t aware of his own limitations.  He hadn’t told Danny, but even before the radiation poisoning, he hadn’t been functioning at his usual one hundred and ten percent.  Age had gradually crept up on him, and despite still being in top physical condition, his body protested his typical stunts in ways it hadn’t before.  His joints ached during high impact movements such as sprinting or jumping, and even minor injuries seemed to take longer to heal.

It was hard enough to wake up every morning with new aches and pains.  He didn’t need his partner questioning his strength and capabilities either.

And yet, as annoyed and borderline offended he grew with Danny bringing up his health issues, he didn’t mean to dismiss his concerns.  

Furthermore, Danny needed words as much as he needed air.  He needed to talk things out, to vocally expel all the thoughts and feelings that swirled within, make them tangible so that he could sort through them and untangle the web in his mind until he got to the heart of the matter.  It was his roundabout way of saying he cared.

However, it wouldn’t kill him to work on being less sensitive, or hold back once in a while.

Before Steve could say something to appease him, Danny stopped and held up his hand.  “Did you hear that?”

“Hear what?”

Beside him, Eddie put his nose to the ground and sniffed around.  The leash grew taut as Eddie began to veer off towards the left, his nose twitching with every sharp inhalation.

“I don’t hear anything,” Steve said.  “Let’s keep going.” He gave the leash a little tug.  “Eddie, this way.”

Soon, the trees thinned and the seaside cabin came into view.  Both men slowed their pace, measuring their steps to reduce the sounds of their approach.

Eddie matched Steve’s strides, but he kept trying to pull him away from the house.

“Eddie, stop,” Steve hissed.

“Wait.  There’s that sound again.  Do you hear it now?”

Steve paused to listen once more.

It was very faint, but when he concentrated and tuned out the rolling waves on the shore, he could hear what sounded like crying.  The noise was muffled, but near.

“You don’t think…” Danny started.

“The missing kids,” Steve finished.  That would explain Eddie’s behaviour.  Steve sent a silent question at his partner.  At Danny’s nod, he knelt in front of Eddie and looked him in the eyes.  “Okay, buddy. We got it. Lead the way.” He unhooked the leash from Eddie’s vest and drew his pistol.

Immediately, the dog bounded off.  Steve and Danny jogged after him.

The three of them skirted the edge of the property, senses on high alert for any sign of their target.

“It’s coming from that shed over there.”  Danny pointed to the aforementioned structure, where Eddie was circling the perimeter.

Both of them glanced over at the house for lights or signs of movement.  None came, and Steve and Danny hurried over to the shed as quietly as possible.  Eddie led them to a steel door facing the ocean and pawed at the ground along its bottom edge.  

The door had a simple handle and a fixed staple hasp, sealed with a rusty padlock.  Danny tugged on it. “It’s closed, but we can probably break it,” he whispered.

“Okay.  Stand back,” Steve ordered.  He placed his hand gun in his thigh holster and swung the MP5 off his shoulders.  

“Wait, what about-”

Steve smashed the butt of his rifle against the lock.  

“Goddammit, Steven!” Danny hissed.  “Not so loud!”

Three solid hits, and the shackle cracked loose from the body of the lock.

Danny pursed his lips, probably to hold back a smartass comment, and shoved Steve aside.  He lifted the broken lock from the hasp, tossed it away, and pushed open the door.

The first thing that hit them was the smell - the putrid odor of decay and the acidic stench of urine and feces.  In their line of work, they had become well acquainted with the telltale scent of a corpse, and the body fluids often present in environments where captives were held.

Muffled squeals resounded from across the room.  Steve pressed a hand on the wall next to the door until his fingers caught on a switch.  He flicked it on.

The light was dim and cloudy, but it gave them just enough to see what he’d already suspected from Eddie’s behavior.  Four teenagers, three boys and a girl, all of them filthy and sickly-looking, were bound at the wrists with heavy irons, and shackled to the wall with chains.  A fifth lay unmoving in the furthest corner.

Upon seeing their law enforcement attire, the girl sobbed.  “Oh! Oh thank god!”

“Help us!  Please!” pleaded the boy next to her.

Danny rushed over to them.  Steve and Eddie followed.

“Shh, it’s okay,” he told the girl.  He took her hands in one of his and stroked her hair.  “It’s okay; you’re safe now. We’re going to get you out of here.”

One of the other boys pointed to the slumped figure in the corner.  “Darren, he’s - I think he’s dead!”

Danny let go of the girl and went to check for a pulse.  He looked at Steve and shook his head.

A cold fury flooded Steve’s tense body.

“H-he started throwing up and screaming about monsters, and then he-”

“It’s okay,” Steve interrupted.  He knelt before the kid and examined his bonds.  “Don’t worry about that right now; one step at a time, okay?  First, let’s see about getting these off.”

The teen nodded and started to cry.  Eddie sat down beside him and licked his cheeks.

Danny examined the other two for injuries and murmured similar assurances.

Steve stood up and waved to his partner.  They retreated a couple of steps away and lowered their voices.  “We can’t break those off without hurting them,” Steve said.

Danny nodded.  “We’ll need to find the key.”

“Right.  Eddie and I will move in and take down Caapi.  He’s probably got the key on him. You stay with the kids and call the EMTs.”

“What?  Steve, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Eddie, with me!”  Steve slunk out of the shed, tuning out Danny’s string of expletives, and jogged over to the house.

There were still no lights on in the building, which was a good sign.  With any luck, the act of breaking into the shed hadn’t been enough commotion to wake their perp, and Steve would be able to take him by surprise.  That had been the whole point of staging the raid so early, and though going in without Danny for backup wasn’t ideal, he saw no reason not to continue.

Steve approached the back door.  Eddie waited by his side while he fished the spare key out of his pocket (courtesy of the property’s owner).  He placed the key in the lock and turned it by tiny degrees, until he heard the telltale click of its internal mechanism releasing.

He held up his index finger towards Eddie, the nonverbal cue for ‘wait’.  Eddie fidgeted with anticipation but obeyed.

Steve eased the door open and peaked into the mud room, and the kitchen beyond.  There was no sound or movement, no immediate sign that the target was aware of their intrusion.

“Eddie, with me,” he commanded again.

They stepped inside and cleared the open concept kitchen/dining area and a bathroom.  Eddie continually sniffed the air, and though he could easily guide Steve right to Caapi, as well as warn him if there was anyone else present, the SEAL wanted to check out each room anyway.  Caapi might not have backup, but he could have explosives or other nasty surprises. Steve wouldn’t say it, but Danny was right to be cautious, considering the toxic substances this guy worked with.

A short hall opened up from the dining area to a spacious living room.  It was well furnished and cozy, exactly what one might expect of a vacation rental, but the welcoming feel was offset by the mess of notebooks strewn across the floor around the couch and the three flickering laptops sitting open on the coffee table.

Movement on the middle console’s screen caught Steve’s eye.  He gave it a quick glance to check if there was anything vital or possibly dangerous, such as an electronic trigger of some kind, that he should note.

What he found instead was a video game, left in standby mode while its gamer (presumably) took a break to sleep.  A picturesque forest stretched across all three computer displays and a player avatar, a nature spirit by the look of its armor, stood idly on the center screen.

Steve recognized the game, and he scoffed at the absurdity of finding it in the hideout of such a callous criminal.  It was an online multiplayer RPG. Last weekend, Jerry had come over to teach Junior how to play. Steve had encouraged the younger SEAL to spend some quality one-on-one time with each member of 5-0, and in Jerry’s case, that either meant gaming or discussing conspiracy theories.  Junior had chosen the former, and as Steve hadn’t had anything to do that day either, he had also been given a crash course on fantasy creatures, job classes and overly complicated quests for magic items.

Steve tempered down his disappointment.  Games like that took up a lot of power and memory, and it was unlikely that Caapi would use the same computers for play _and_ his illegal activities.  They’d still have the lab check them for incriminating evidence and useful data, but they probably wouldn’t find much.

He dismissed any further speculation and resumed the search.

Eddie had wandered off, but his low growl guided Steve back to his canine companion.  He followed the noise into another short hallway, at the end of which was a door. Eddie was poised in an attack position: body lowered with his weight forward, hackles raised and his lips curled back in a snarl.

Steve lifted his MP5 and prepared to open the door.

BANG!

Steve jumped and flattened his back to the wall.  Inches from where his head had been, there was a smoking hole and splintered wood in the door.

“Eddie, stay down!” Steve directed.  The dog barked and got even lower, taking cover next to the SEAL’s long legs.  

Steve shouted, “Aaron Caapi!  This is Commander Steve McGarrett of the 5-0 Task Force!  Drop your weapon and come out with your hands up!”

BANG! BANG!  Two more holes joined the first.

“I’ll take that as a _‘no’_ ,” Steve grumbled.  He crouched, inwardly cringing at the twinge in his joints, and reached for the doorknob again.

BOOM!

The door flew open, knocking into Steve and causing him to fall on his rear.  Eddie yelped in his ear and writhed in surprise.

A tall, muscular figure tried to flee down the hall, but Eddie shook off the blow and lunged at the suspect.  He caught ahold of the guy’s pant leg and tripped him. The suspect dropped his weapon, kicked Eddie hard enough for the dog to release him and took off running.

Steve cursed, but at least their target had been disarmed.

His in-ear radio crackled.  “Steve, you okay?” Danny called.  “Talk to me!”

“We’re fine,” Steve answered.  

He and Eddie scrambled to their feet and sprinted after Caapi.  They pursued him back through the living and dining rooms, then up a set of stairs.

Several doors awaited at the top, but there was one on their left facing eastward that had been wrenched open, and an almost blinding light spilled out into the hall.

Steve had barely set one foot through the door into what appeared to be a makeshift greenhouse when something smashed him in the back of the head.  Whatever it was wasn’t heavy and shattered on impact, but it was enough to stun him. He lurched sideways, weapon slipping from his hand and caught himself against a wall.

Eddie barked and tried to tackle their attacker, but Caapi was quick.  He flung the door shut before Eddie could take the leap, trapping him outside of the room.

Cappi dove for Steve’s rifle, but the SEAL pushed off the wall and slammed into the ex-Marine.  Together, they crashed into a table covered with potted plants and vials of multi-colored liquids. They grappled, knocking over sun lamps and sending pots crashing to the floor.  Then they rolled off of the table and into a mound of ceramic and glass shards, leaves, seeds and soil.

Steve had the upper hand when they hit the floor, but Caapi jammed a knee into Steve’s abdominal with one leg and kicked his hip with the other.  The movement allowed him to escape Steve’s grip and roll away. As soon as he was up, he went on the offensive. He struck Steve in the jaw with a powerful jab-cross combo.  

Eddie whined and scratched at the door.

Steve reeled from the blows, but he also used them to his advantage.  He allowed his body to fall away, letting Caapi believe he had the upper hand, and swung his non-supporting leg.  He clipped him in the ankles, tripping him.

His plan was to put enough space between them to give himself the precious seconds needed to draw his pistol from his thigh holster, but the perp was onto him.  Caapi used a kick up to return to standing, grabbed Steve by the straps of his vest, and threw him at another plant-covered table. Steve skidded across the surface and landed in a heap on the floor behind it.

Caapi apparently did not wish to continue the fight.  Rather than press his luck, he ran towards a window, heaved it open and hopped out.

Steve groaned and staggered to his feet.  Plant matter clung to his clothes, and something damp and sticky coated his face and exposed arms.

“Steve?  What’s happening?  Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Steve moaned.  “Suspect is fleeing on foot into the woods.  I’m going after him.”

“Which way?”

“I got it.  Stay with the kids.”

He tasted copper on his tongue and his body screamed at him to stay down.  Nevertheless, he shook off the pain and hurried to the window.

It wasn’t that high, maybe twenty feet up at most, but Danny’s earlier comments about Caapi’s superior physicality gave him pause.  It’d be safer if Steve backtracked through the house, grabbed Eddie and maybe Danny for backup, and _then_ go after him.

But there wasn’t enough time.  Caapi already had a thirty second head start.  If Steve didn’t act now, they could lose him.

He shoved aside the voice in his head (which sounded suspiciously like Danny) telling him not to do it, and ducked to clear the upper pane of the window.  He stuck one leg through the opening, sat on the sill, pulled the other limb through, and jumped. He rolled into the fall, came up standing, and sprinted off into the woods, following the trail of rustling branches and disturbed ground left in Caapi’s wake.

It didn’t take him long to catch up.  In less than a minute, Steve found him.  Caapi was running hard, leaping over rocks and tree stubs, but something was off.  He kept swerving in different directions, but not in the way he should if he was trying to escape.  It was more like he was losing control of his faculties.

“Aaron Caapi!  Stop! There’s nowhere - nowhere to run!”

Steve swayed and slowed his pace.  He suddenly felt drowsy, and his vision was getting a fuzzy.  Every little movement was becoming increasingly difficult; he felt like someone had tied a bunch of weights to him and ordered him to run through the surf.

He pushed onward until he reached a circular clearing amidst a grove of Ohia trees.  He paused and put a hand on the nearest branch to steady himself.

Caapi was nowhere to be seen.

Steve tapped his ear piece.  It took monumental effort to lift his hand that much.  “Danny,” he murmured.

No response.

“Danny, come in.  I need… I need help…”  His tongue was like sandpaper, and he couldn’t be sure that words were actually leaving his mouth.

Everything began to spin.  Steve’s eyelids grew heavy.

He fell.  Darkness descended over him, and the last thing he saw were the red lehua blossoms of the Ohia trees, dancing in the wind.


	2. Chapter 2

_“Steve?  Steve! Are you okay!  Jerry, get paramedics out here, ASAP!  Come on, Steve! Don’t do this to me, man.  Wake up! WAKE UP!”_

* * *

 “Steve.  Hey, Steve.  It’s time to wake up, son.”

A firm hand gripped his shoulder.  Steve moaned and swatted at the air.  

A low chuckle.  “None of that now.”

That voice - why did it sound so familiar?  And why did it send a spike of pain through his chest?

A second one spoke, this one feminine, whereas the first had been male.  “I know you’re tired, dear. But our time is so short, and life is fleeting.”  

The wistful tone had a musicality to it that soothed him, even as his heart contracted.

“What’s wrong with you, SEAL?” teased a third voice.  “You ringing the bell?”

It couldn’t be.  Steve forced his eyes open.

Hovering over him were faces belonging to people who only existed in photographs and memory.  Time had faded them, but Steve knew them instantly. His gut whooped with euphoria when his vision swam into focus and his eyes fell first to the third speaker.  “Freddie?” he croaked.

His old friend's mouth stretched into the wide grin that Steve often thought of as clown-like, and the comparison was all the more accurate now, as Freddie’s lips and teeth were stained red.

“There he is,” said Freddie.  He nudged the older man who had his hand on Steve’s shoulder.  “See? Told ya I’d get through to him.”

“Indeed you did.”

“Dad?”  Steve rubbed his eyes and looked again.  

It was definitely him.  The eyes Steve saw in the mirror every day, the eyes he’d inherited from his father, were searching his with that calculating but kind stare he’d perfected as a police officer.  The worry lines, the sad smile - all were those that belonged to John McGarrett. The only difference was the greyish-green coloring of his skin.

“Try to stay calm, son,” John said.

The woman on Steve’s other side nodded.  “You don’t want to get yourself work up,” she added.  Her beautiful voice took on a maternal quality that Steve only associated with one woman, and it wasn’t the very-much-alive Doris McGarrett.  

“Aunt Deb,” Steve sighed.

She leaned in closer and stroked Steve’s forehead.  A thick, braided cord the color and texture of a tree vine was draped around her neck, and her movement sent it swinging over Steve’s torso.

He looked back and forth between his father and aunt.  His stomach churned, and he rolled over onto his side to vomit.  Deb, John and Freddie backed off to give him some space.

“Aww, dude.  That’s gross,” drawled a lazy voice.

“Give him a break,” said another female.  “He’s had a hard day.”

“Of course he has,” agreed one more male.  “He’s had to put up with my pain-in-the-ass brother.  That’d be enough to make anyone throw up.”

“That’s not fair,” said the woman.  “Sure, Danny can be abrasive, but its just because he cares.”

Steve composed himself and sat up as best he could.  He searched the area for the sources of the other three voices, and he needed to figure out where the hell he was.

The second was more easily answered.  It appeared that he was still in the circular clearing amidst the Ohia trees, improbable as that was.  Overhead, stars shone and twinkled, and crickets chirped their twilight song.

But that couldn’t be.  The raid on Aaron Caapi’s hideout had been early in the morning.  Surely Danny would have found him by now and gotten him to a hospital.

“Oh, he’s looking for you alright,” said one of the men.  “Never fear.”

His mind was a bit slow to place the accent.  Eight long years in Hawaii have softened the nasal quality of the vowels and rough edges to enough of a degree that it only came out during the most intense arguments.  This current speaker had traveled a great deal, but had never stayed in one place long enough to lose the Jersey tint to his words.

Sure enough, Steve was faced with a whole and unbroken Matthew Williams, leaning his back on a tree in the shadows, his arms crossed and sporting the trademark Williams smirk.  A flamboyant, magenta shirt went some way towards dampening his slick, stockbroker image.

Next to him, Jenna Kaye was seated on the ground, her legs crossed at the ankles.  A crown of tubular white flowers was woven into her hair. “He hasn’t left your side,” she said, her tone reassuring.

“Who?”

“Who else?” said lazy voice.  “Jersey. Er - the other one. Not _that_ one.”  An arm popped up from the grass and pointed at Matt.

Steve sat up straighter until he found the body attached to the arm.  Lying on a bed of green plants with long, serrated leaves was Adam Charles, also known as Toast.

Sadness, and a bit of fear, overcame Steve as he looked at each deceased relative and colleague in turn.  “Am I dead?”

“Not yet.”

All eyes turned up at something high above the ground.  Steve copied them.

In the branches of the tallest Ohia tree sat a woman, with dark hair and skin.  She wore a long, red dress that belled out like a fan and was fringed along the hem.  He couldn't make out any specific facial features, partially due to the darkness of the night, but also because his vision was blurred around the edges.

“Who - who are you?”

“That,” said the woman, “is up to you.  Perhaps I am a goddess, or a spirit. Perhaps I am a dream, a figment of your imagination.  It is of little importance.”

“Okay.  If I’m not dead, then how are all of you here?  Where am I?”

“Ah, now _that_ is an interesting question.”  She sounded amused. “How shall we answer?”

“Well, it ain’t Kansas, Dorothy,” said Matt.

John McGarrett offered a more straightforward answer.  “This is a place of reflection, son. It is not the land of the living, but it's not the afterlife either.”

“Though you can get to both from here,” Freddie put in.  

“If that’s the case, then you can’t be here.”  Steve bowed his head. That realization was like a kick to the gut.  “None of you are real.”

No one denied it.

Aunt Deb touched his leg.  “Don’t fret, dear. Think of this as _‘The Land Between’_.”

Steve tried to look around at each of them, but the motion made his head spin.  “Between what?”

“Everything, man,” said Toast (not-Toast).

“Life and death,” John reiterated.

“Past and present,” said Jenna.

“Fantasy and reality,” said Freddie.  

The woman in the tree took over.  “In _The Land Between_ , the things you’ve always known and the things you most desire collide.  Your experiences, your thoughts - however fleeting - take shape.”

“How?  And to what end?”

“Again, that is entirely up to you.  You may learn something valuable - about yourself, about those you love, about life.  Or this might all be a fevered dream and mean nothing at all.”

“That doesn’t make any sense!” Steve protested.  He tried to get up, but he felt sluggish and numb.

“Ah-ah!”  Freddie waved a finger at him.  “A good soldier knows when to stay down.  In fact, you should probably get some shuteye.  You’re gonna need it.”

“For what?”

“Shh.  Hush now.”  Deb and John each took ahold of Steve’s shoulders and eased him back down.  His stomach convulsed, and he shifted to lie on his side.

“Sleep,” the woman ordered.  

A warm breeze picked up and rustled the branches of the trees.  It seemed to Steve that the fluttering leaves and lehua blossoms echoed the woman’s command.

“Sleep, sleep, sleep…”

The assembled spirits crowded around and hovered over him.  They whispered something, but Steve could no longer make it out.

“Please.  I don’t…”

He wasn’t sure what he wanted to say.  ' _I don’t want to sleep.  I don’t want you to go. I don’t want to wake up.'_

But the natural lullaby was too soothing to resist, and before Steve could utter another word, his eyes closed of their own accord.  He passed out.


	3. Chapter 3

Something soft, cold and wet nudged at Steve’s face.  It was probably Eddie. Steve had never been one to sleep in, and adopting the dog further deterred the temptation.  If he wasn’t up within thirty minutes of his usual time, Eddie would come bounding in, ready for breakfast and their morning workout.

“Wake up.  Wake up!”

Steve clenched his eyes shut and wrinkled his nose.  He drew in a deep breath and turned his face away from the prodding presence.  

His head felt fuzzy and throbbed like a hangover headache.  His gut twisted itself into knots.

“You have to get up!  The others are looking for you!”

Right, of course.  Danny had to have called for backup by now.

Steve placed his hands beneath his shoulders and pushed himself onto all fours.  His arms shook with the effort, and his stomach lurched. He gagged and coughed a few times, but managed not to throw up.

When he felt stable enough, he maneuvered his legs forward, shifting to sit on his behind.  He breathed and willed his mind and body to cooperate. He needed to pull himself together - take stock of his situation and formulate a plan.

Eddie trotted over and sat between his splayed legs.  He tilted his head, lifted his ears. Then he made a series of soft whines and growls.

“Are you okay?  Can you walk?”

Steve looked around the room, half expecting to see another apparition.  “Who’s there?” he called. “Who said that?”

Eddie edged forward and barked twice.  “I did.”

Steve winced and rubbed his ears.  “Who?” he croaked.

Eddie stood and bounced on his feet like he needed to be let outside.  “Me!” he quipped.

Steve lowered his hands away from his aching head and stared at the canine.  “Eddie?”

“Yes?”  The dog’s lips stretched back into a wide grin, tongue lolling out.

Steve blinked rapidly, as though the action might clear the haziness in his head and help him find a logical explanation as to what he was experiencing.  Nothing changed, so either he was having a very strange, yet very realistic dream, or while he’d been unconscious, his dog had somehow learned to speak with human words.

“I think I need to lie back down,” he muttered.

“Not here,” Eddie insisted.  “There are monsters close by.  We need to get back to the team.”  He jogged towards a set of trees that stood apart like pillars in front of a doorway.  “Follow me. I’ll show you the way.”

Steve was sorely tempted to flop onto his back and wait until he woke up in the real world, but Eddie’s desperate chant of “Come on, come on, come on!” was not helping his headache.  

“Hold on a moment,” Steve demanded.  “Let me get sorted, and I… Wait, where is my gun?  And my vest?” Steve touched his chest, hips and leg and discovered that all of his gear was missing.  And that wasn’t all. “What happened to my clothes? And why am I not wearing shoes?”

He wasn’t naked, thank god, but the black t-shirt and cargo pants he’d dressed in the morning of the raid had been replaced by a white linen shirt, a dark grey tunic that went down to his knees, and navy blue leggings.  His feet were bare.

Eddie ran around in circles.  “We need to go! Hurry!”

Steve was too tired and disoriented to sort it out.  In the end, he decided to just go with it. He’d snap out of it eventually.

The change from sitting to standing was disorienting, but Steve managed it.  He shuffled after Eddie.

Eddie led the way through the forest, navigating past rock formations and fallen trees, and warning Steve to watch his step whenever trip hazards were present.  Steve hurried along as best as he could, but it wasn’t easy. Between the jackhammer in his skull and the tilt-a-whirl in his intestines, it was slow going. Even so, the pain lessened as they went along, and he didn’t feel the urge to vomit every two minutes.

The trees in their path thinned some thirty yards ahead, and the sun shone brighter through the branches.  Eddie jogged ahead until he’d reached the edge of the forest and stopped to wait for Steve to catch up. When he did, his breath caught in his throat.

Before him lay the wide expanse of the Ko’olau Mountain Range.  The sea of rich, green vegetation, worn hiking paths and steep cliffs that housed his favorite Petroglyphs were the same as he’d always known it.  A shallow river cut through the valley before disappearing into the forest on the other side. It was still breathtakingly beautiful, and for a moment, Steve forgot about his hallucinations of dead loved ones and his talking dog.  He took in a deep breath, and the crisp, clean air helped dissipate the last traces of fog floating around in his brain.

“I’ll never get tired of this,” he murmured aloud.

“It IS pretty,” Eddie concurred.  “And it smells wonderful.”

And just like that, the splendor of the landscape lost its hold.  Steve glanced down at his dog. _‘Guess I’m not really out of the woods yet,’_ he thought.

“Now what?” he asked aloud.

Eddie raised his head and sniffed the air.  His body went rigid. “Hellhounds,” he said.

“What?”

Eddie pointed his nose towards the cliffs.  “We should make for higher ground, but it won’t be easy.  We have to leave the safety of the forest. We’ll be exposed.  Can you run?”

“I think so.”

Eddie started for the cliffs.  “Good. I’ll find you a place to hide, and then I’ll go look for the others.”

Steve fell in step beside him.  “Hide? From what?”

A long, high-pitched howl cut through the air.  It was swiftly joined by another, then another, then another, until the entire valley was flooded in a chorus of howls.

The hair on the back of Steve’s neck stood up.  A chill went through his limbs. His legs felt like lead and the sweat on his brow turned to ice.  

He had heard wolves and wild dogs before.  Having executed countless missions in remote forests and tropical jungles during his time as a Navy SEAL, he’d learned to recognize the sounds and signs of various wildlife.  But he’d never heard cries like this. They seemed to freeze him to his very core, and though he was no coward, his heart was filled with dread.

“Steve!”  Eddie stood on his hind legs and pressed his paws to Steve’s chest.  He barked, breaking Steve of his trance. “We have to go! Hurry!”

Steve needed no further prompting.  He didn’t know what was causing those sounds, but he wasn’t eager to find out, especially considering that he was unarmed and alone, except for Eddie.  They ran for the hills.

He shouldn’t have felt so panicked.  This was a dream. It had to be. “Wake up,” Steve mumbled.  “Wake up!”

He didn’t.  His body revolted against his mind’s assertion by mimicking the appropriate responses to the situation.  His lungs expanded and contracted in short bursts, his heart pounded furiously to supply his limbs with blood, and his leg muscles burned.  His skin chafed on the damp, linen shirt, and his bare feet prickled and bled whenever he stepped on a sharp rock.

“Almost there!” Eddie called.  His four legs had carried him further ahead; he was just about to reach the path that would climb up into the cliffs where the Petroglyphs should be.

Something or _somethings_ moved.  Black shapes rustled around in the tall grass.  They dotted the valley in small clusters, but began to converge and move as one directly towards Steve.

Whatever they were, they were chasing him.  He didn’t dare turn around to look, knowing that the action would slow him down, but he could sense the malicious presence pursuing him, a sort of shadowy energy that made his spine tingle with terror.

The howls changed to labored grunts and vicious barks.  Steve ran faster, needing no urging from Eddie.

Suddenly, something heavy crashed into Steve from behind, knocking him to the ground and pinning him on his stomach.  Razor-sharp claws dug into his back and hot breath fanned across his neck.

In a blink, the weight was gone, and Eddie’s snarl temporarily overpowered the other noises.  Steve rolled over and sat up. His eyes widened in horror.

Forming a semi-circle before them was a huge pack of the most hideous, dog-like creatures he had ever seen.  There were about the size of Timber Wolves, with glowing red eyes, sharp yellow fangs and patches of obsidian fur.  They looked half decayed and shredded, like their bodies had been picked over by carrion birds; much of their skeletal structures were exposed, including their rib cages, giving a full view of the internal organs housed therein.  Threads of sinew, cords of muscle and rotting flesh clung to their bones in tatters.

Eddie stood his ground in front of them, guarding Steve to the best of his ability.  He began to glow with a golden aura, and he barked a warning at the monsters. None of them heeded it.  They stalked forward, bodies low to the ground and mouths dripping with sizzling saliva. A few of the beasts at the front of the pack crouched, ready to pounce.

_Whoosh!_

The first beast to attempt it didn’t get its feet off the ground.  It fell onto its side, a feathered shaft sticking out of its ribs. In an instant, the body crumbled like ash in a cloud of black smoke, leaving nothing behind but a broken arrow.

Seconds later, another one was destroyed, also pierced by an arrow.  The pack startled and stopped advancing. They yipped and raised their heads, ears and noses twitching.

From the direction of the woods, Steve heard the whinny and thud-thud-thud-thud of a galloping horse.  All heads turned towards the sounds.

A chestnut stallion bearing what Steve assumed was some kind of knight (by the medieval armor the rider was wearing) leapt over the brush and charged the hellhounds with a war cry.  He threw a javelin at the nearest wild dog. The point penetrated its chest, killing it. The pack retreated, and the knight rode in an arc in front of Steve and Eddie, driving the hounds back.

He checked his horse a couple of yards away from them.  “Dammit, Steve! Where the hell you been, man?”

Steve narrowed his eyes.  “Lou? Is that you?”

“Of course.  Who else would it be?”

Steve didn’t get a chance to reply.  The hounds had apparently gotten over their reactive fear of the charging horse and rider.  They regrouped and closed ranks. Lou had a full bundle of javelins tied to his horse’s saddle, but he would not have enough to destroy them all.

“Some more cover would be great,” he muttered.

“What are you-”

_THUNK!_

Another hellhound at the head of the pack toppled over, an arrow protruding from its neck.

The other monsters stopped advancing and howled.  

Eddie bounced around Steve.  “Yay!” he cheered.

Three hellhounds turned their heads, following a scent, but they were dead within seconds, their vital organs pierced by more arrows.

Steve followed the arrow’s trajectory and gawped.

Standing on a boulder at the top of a hill some forty yards away was a lone, hooded figure.  From this distance, Steve couldn’t pick out specific details of the person’s face or attire, but whoever it was wielded a bow with expert skill.

Two hellhounds broke off and sprinted towards the figure, but they had hardly covered a third of the distance before they were felled.

“Steve!” Eddie barked to get his attention.  “Here! Take cover over here!” The dog trotted over to a small cluster of trees.  

“But-”

“Best do what he says,” Lou advised.  “You don’t look like you’re in any shape to fight.  Leave this to us.”

Steve reluctantly complied, crawling over to the shade on his hands and knees.

In the distance, the archer lifted a hand to his shadowed face and let out a shrill whistle.  After, he jumped to the ground and started to run towards them. He fired arrow after arrow in quick succession at any beasts that broke from the pack.  When his quiver was empty, he drew some kind of bladed weapon, and stabbed or slashed the charging hounds.

Steve cried out, wishing he could help in some way, but a sharp yip pulled his focus elsewhere.

Two hounds had retreated to the river and had been prowling around the water’s edge.  They squealed and fell forward as their hind legs were pulled out from under them. They clawed at the ground in an effort to break free of whatever had a hold of them, to no avail.  Their bodies began to slide backward, dragged by an invisible force.

No - not invisible.  It was the river! Tendrils of water had risen from the surface, forming arms and claw-like hands.  They latched onto the beasts’ tails and pulled them beneath the currents. They struggled to remain above the surface, but there was no escape.  In a few seconds, the water sizzled and a black mist clouded the surface of the river.

From the spot where they disappeared, something else began to emerge.  At first, it resembled a wave, rising to crash upon the shore, but it moved with bipedal strides and swirled to create a human-shaped frame.  With each motion forward, it gained substance and mass.

The form’s lower part split into two halves and the middle into three.  The pieces took form and solidified into arms and legs, with webbed fingers and toes, a head and a feminine torso.  Blue, violet and red ventral fins lined the sides of the arms and legs in a feather-like pattern and swayed like the folds of a dress when the figure moved.  

Marine-based plants swirled around the torso and congealed into something that might have been cloth, wrapping the figure in a dark green, sleeveless tunic and black leggings.  The rest of the water hardened like ice and turned into opaque blue skin.

The head was the last to take shape.  Dark, wet hair, plaited with strands of seaweed and aquatic flowers, angry eyes, a nose and frowning lips.

Steve’s mouth fell open, hardly daring to believe his eyes.  “K-kono?”

Kono’s expression lit up with joy and relief when she saw Steve.  She grinned and started towards them. Along the way, her arms morphed back and forth between solid and liquid states, shoving aside hellhounds with a literal wave of one limb or skewering them with the other after changing it into a blade of pure ice.

A scream returned Steve’s attention to the archer.  There were a number of disintegrating hound corpses all around him, but one of the zombie dogs had attacked him from behind and knocked him to the ground.  The guy rolled onto his back in time to raise his arms, blocking a fatal bite to his neck, but the hound pinned him down and clamped its jaws around his forearm.  Three more moved in, attempting to join in and rip the man apart.

“Danny!” Lou shouted.

Steve felt the color drain from his face.  “Wait, what? That’s Danny over there?”

“Yeah, obviously,” Lou snapped.  He glanced back and forth between Steve and Danny.

“We’ve got to help him!”  Steve struggled to his feet, his hand on one of the trees for balance.  He didn’t care if this was some kind of dream, or parallel universe. He couldn’t stand by and watch any version of his partner get killed.

A new voice spoke up next to Steve.  “Lou, go!”

Steve turned and nearly jumped out of his skin.  He yanked his hand away.

Where there had once been an ordinary tree stood Chin Ho Kelly.

“I’ll protect Steve,” he said.  “Go!”

Lou needed no further permission.  He kicked his heels into his horse’s side and pulled on the reins, guiding his steed towards Danny.  The charge, and a few well aimed javelins, eliminated the dog pile on top of him. Lou stood guard as Danny recovered himself and retrieved his bow and knife.  Together, they made their way over to meet Kono, taking out any hellhounds who came close along the way.

Steve exhaled in relief.  With his partner safe, Steve took the opportunity to study Chin.

For the most part, he didn’t look all that different: normal height and build, skin tone and eye color.  He wore a tan shirt with three-quarter sleeves and dark pants - not all that dissimilar to his usual attire, though it was a little less form-fitting and the material was thinner.

But unlike his counterpart, there were green veins (or were they tree roots?) visible on his exposed skin - curling around his arms, snaking up his chest and neck, and framing his face.  And his hair seemed to have a peculiar texture to it, something resembling moss on a tree trunk.

“Steve, are you okay?” Chin put a hand on his shoulder.

That had a distinct feel to it as well.  Where there should have been calloused skin, Steve felt the fibers of rough-hewn wood.

Movement behind his friend caught Steve’s eye.  “Chin!” he warned.

Faster than he could follow, Chin spun and knelt.  He put his hands to the earth.

The ground rumbled, causing Steve to lose his balance and fall to his knees.  

What appeared to be thick vines erupted around Chin’s hands, forming a wall in front of them.  They gained enough height just in time for a hellhound to crash headfirst into them. It collapsed to the ground.

Chin lifted one hand and spread his fingers.  With a loud popping noise, the digits elongated into sharp points, with little buds of leaves sprouting on each finger’s middle joint.

The beast staggered to its feet and shook its head.  Then it snarled at Chin, who wasted no time in disposing of it.  His fingers (or were they branches now?) shot forward like the snap of a switchblade, his hand remaining motionless, and impaled the creature in the neck with five sharp points.

Chin retracted his fingers, and the plant-based barrier sank back into the earth.

Across the valley, the few remaining hellhounds scattered and fled.

“Steve!”

Chin helped Steve to his feet just in time for Kono to reach them and throw her arms around his neck.

“Thank goodness you’re alright!  We were so worried!” She pulled back, and Steve noticed that her skin tone had reverted to its normal golden hue, and the fishy fins had vanished.

“Gotta be more careful _brah_ ,” Chin said.  “If you’d been missing any longer, she and Danny might have caused a storm.  Or their hearts would have been wounded or broken.”

Steve didn’t have the slightest idea what any of that meant, but at the moment, it didn’t matter.  Instead of freaking out over the overwhelming weirdness of the situation, Steve had to concentrate on swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat and blinking away the watery haze from his eyes.

Almost one year had gone by since Chin and Kono (or the ones Steve knew) had moved on to pursue new opportunities.  He didn’t begrudge them at all; in fact, he was immensely proud of them, but that didn’t necessarily ease the pain of their absence.  

They kept in touch as best as they could in their free time.  It was always good to hear their voices on the phone, or see their faces on Skype calls.  But a video screen never seemed to capture the full effect of Chin’s wry grin, or Kono’s sparkling eyes.  Having them here, now, even if they were just illusions, soothed a deep ache in Steve’s soul.

“Chin, Kono, I…” Steve choked on his words.

Kono’s smile vanished.  “Steve, is everything okay?  Are you hurt?”

“No, I-”

“Hey, Steve!” Lou called.  His horse came to a stop near them.  “He’ll try to hide it, but Danny’s arm is pretty banged up.  He’s gonna need your special brand of T.L.C. Oh - and he’s trying to contain it, but he’s pretty pissed at you.  After you take care of his arm, you’re gonna want to give him some space.”

Steve furrowed his brows.  “What are you talking about?”

Lou’s horse took several steps back.  Chin and Kono also put some distance between themselves and Steve.

Danny stomped forward.

Considering everything he’d seen so far, Steve half expected Danny to have extra arms with which to make over-the-top gestures, but other than the clothes (a dark blue button-down jerkin with a hood, loose pants, and ankle-high leather boots) and the weapons (the bow and quiver slung across his back and the hunting knife strapped to a belt) he appeared relatively normal.

However, on closer examination, Danny looked about ten years younger, maybe more, than the one Steve knew.  His movements were less stiff, less careful than those of the Danny with chronic knee pain and occasional back soreness.  Rather than slicked back with salon products, his blond hair, which was a little longer and more wild, was restrained with a cloth band.  He had fewer wrinkles (which was a disappointment; Steve kind of liked them), his overall mien was not as world-weary, and his eyes were brighter…

… and growing brighter by the second.

In fact, they were literally starting to burn, like the embers of a campfire beneath charred wood.  His skin flushed, and the tips of his hair crackled into flame, sporadically spreading so that wisps of smoke and fire intermingled with the wavy locks.

“What the fuck?” Steve gasped.  He stumbled back a few paces.

“Well, what did you expect, _brah_?” Chin said.  “You leave Danny to watch all the kids by himself and take off on a hunt without help?  Um, no offense to your Familiar. But of course he’s going to be angry. We all are, in fact.”

“And ya scared Junior,” Lou added.  “Kid thinks you’re having second thoughts about being his best man.”

“I… what?”  Steve rubbed his temples, hoping it might help.  “I don’t understand any of this.”

He looked to Danny for an explanation.  His friends’ appearances may have changed, but thus far, they had not demonstrated any personality traits or behaviors that were contrary to the people he knew.  Steve hoped that would include Danny’s propensity for long-winded explanations seasoned with a few sarcastic remarks at Steve’s expense.

“Danno, can you please tell me what the fuck is going on?  Where the hell am I? And what are you?” He pointed at each of them.  “And how did you…”

Steve’s head began to pulse with a vengeance.  The absurdity of the whole situation hit him at once, along with a healthy dose of hysteria.  Because as much as he wanted to believe this was all a dream, his mind and body were telling him the opposite.  He could smell the grass and the flowers, freshly watered by a light spring rain. With the hellhounds gone, birds began to sing.  His neck and torso were still damp and warm from Kono’s hug, identical to those she’d give when parting after a long day of surfing.  Chin’s hand on his shoulder had been just as strong and comforting as he’d always known, and he recognized Lou’s half bemused, half concerned expression.

And Danny - the glare, the angry heat that rolled off his body in waves, actually visible now - had not changed.  Neither had the constant state of worry that turned his lips down, or the outstretched hands the looked poised to either strangle or hug Steve.

He latched onto that like a lifeline.  Whatever this was, surely his partner could get him through it.  He was here after all, and that was always enough.

Knowing that helped Steve to wrangle his fear.  “Danny, please. I don’t know what’s happening to me.  I don’t know where I am or what I’m doing here.” He took a deep breath.  “I need you to help me out here, buddy. Please tell me what’s going on.”

The smoldering fires in Danny’s hair and eyes diminished.  He looked to the others and brought his hands up to his forehead.  Then he extended the index fingers of both hands and made a twisting motion as he brought the tips of his fingers towards each other.

Chin nodded.  “Maybe. Steve, did you sustain a head injury of any sort?”

“No!”  Steve reconsidered.  “Maybe. I’m not sure.  But it wasn’t enough to cause all of this!”  He waved his hand vaguely, indicating pretty much everything.  “Come on, Danny. This is no time for the silent treatment. Say something, will you?  Call me a schmuck or putz, tell me I’m delusional - anything!”

There was a collective gasp from Chin, Lou and Kono.  For a millisecond, Danny’s entire body ignited in a flash flare.  When it died down, and Steve had rubbed the spots out of his eyes, Danny spun on his heels and stomped away.

“Oh, Steve.  What have you done?” Kono chided.  She ran after Danny.

“You are gonna be in the doghouse tonight,” Chin muttered.

“What?” Steve asked.

Lou clucked his tongue.  “Wow. Hey man, I know you and Danny like to rib on each other, but poking fun at his curse was cold.  That’s no way to treat your husband.”

“Curse?”  Steve paused, blinked stupidly, and replayed Lou’s admonishment in his mind.  “Wait - did you say _husband_?”

“Yeah, _brah_.  The ceremony was a couple of months ago.  But it was just a formality, all things considered,” Chin said.

Steve would deny it later, but that little tidbit was the final straw that tipped him over the edge - not his talking dog, not the monsters, the magic or his friends’ appearances.  No; it was the knowledge that in this dream or alternative universe or whatever, he finally had the one thing he wanted most in all the world.

Danny was his.

Steve’s eyes rolled back in his head.  The world swayed.

And Steven J. McGarrett, leader of the 5-0 Task Force, badass Navy SEAL, fainted.


	4. Chapter 4

_“Danno?  Is he going to be alright?”_

_“Is he - of course he’s going to be alright, monkey.  It’s Steve. It’s gonna take a lot more than this to do him in.  He’ll be better in no time. You’ll see.”_

* * *

 Steve had become used to the disorienting sensations that came with drifting between states of consciousness.  Extreme hunger and thirst, head injuries, sickness, torture, inebriation - Steve was an old pro at dealing with the bouts of fear and confusion (and subsequent relief when the world was set to rights) that came from altered perceptions.  Therefore, he didn’t think much of the voices and visions that danced in and out of focus during his short intervals of wakefulness.

He vaguely recalled being moved by strong but gentle hands and laid to rest in a soft bed.  Encouraging words were uttered in his ear, and distressed prayers were whispered in the darkness.  His name was chanted over and over like some kind of mantra, sometimes with titles both old and new attached.  Commander, boss, sir, uncle, babe, love, daddy - he didn’t recognize all of it, but he soaked in the affection laced in each like a sponge.

Only once did he perceive speech without an extraneous hinderance.  And naturally, it was Danny’s voice that cut through the mire.

 _“It had to be you.  It’s_ **_always_ ** _you.  You and that stupid, selfless heart of yours.  Eight years, and you still insist on taking the bulk of any risk on yourself, so everyone else stays safe.  Well you know what? I’m sick of it! The world isn’t going to end if Steve McGarrett takes a break and lets others take on some of the danger.  Seriously, would it kill you to be selfish once in a while?_

_“Then again, I suppose you wouldn’t be you if you weren’t always thinking of others.  And god help me, I can’t help but love you for it.”_

The night was long, and the spells of pain and sickness that jerked him out of sleep wore him out, but comfort came in the form of melodic humming and the tender caress of fingers carding through his hair.  

At the last, he was awakened by a feather-like touch on his cheek, and was greeted by clear, blue eyes.

“Danny?” Steve sat up, pushing aside a heavy quilt, and looked around the room.  “Where am I?”

Danny sat down beside him on the bed but said nothing.

It was the younger Danny he’d seen yesterday - the longer hair tied back with a cloth headband, the linen shirt and trousers - but his hair and eyes weren’t smoking with fire.  

“Danno, please.  Please talk to me.”

Danny searched his eyes.  Steve didn’t know what he was looking for, but whatever it was must have convinced him that this was not a cruel jest.  He frowned and looked away.

Danny’s skin had been pale to begin with, but it seemed to Steve that it grew more so in the space of a couple seconds, until it had turned ice blue.  There was a crackling sound, and Steve watched in amazement as Danny’s hair froze into wavy icicles.

The room became chilly. Steve’s skin broke out in goosebumps, and when Danny exhaled, the air came out in a white puff.

“D-Danny?”  Steve’s teeth were chattering.

Danny turned back to him and opened his mouth.

_Knock, knock, knock!_

Steve and Danny faced the door.  It opened, and a young face framed by long, brown locks peeked in.

“Gracie,” Steve murmured, a smile forming easily at the sight of his best friend’s daughter.

“Danno, can we come in now?  Everything’s ready,” she said.

Danny nodded and stood.  He walked over to the door and held it open, allowing Grace, Charlie and, to Steve’s surprise, Nahele to enter.

Grace came first.  She was carrying a wooden tray laden with a large plate and one medium-sized bowl.  The scent of bacon, fried eggs and fresh pineapple wafted into the room, and Steve’s stomach growled.

Little Charlie followed his big sister, holding a tall glass that was practically overflowing with what Steve guessed was milk.  Charlie took each step with care, doing his best not to spill, but he wasn’t very successful. The liquid sloshed over the sides, spilling over the boy’s hands and onto the floor.  Nahele crouched behind him and traced his path with a damp towel.

“What’s all this?” Steve questioned.

“Danno said you weren’t feeling well, so we made you a special breakfast,” Grace answered.  

She stopped at the foot of the bed and allowed Charlie to pass her.  He shuffled along until he reached Steve and ever-so-carefully placed the glass on the bedside table.  His journey had emptied almost a quarter of its contents. He blinked up at Steve shyly.

“Thanks, buddy,” Steve said.  He ruffled the boy’s hair affectionately.

Charlie broke into a wide grin at Steve’s approval.  He also took the gesture as permission to climb up onto the bed and tackle Steve in a wet, sticky hug.

“I was so s-scared, Daddy!  Please don’t get hurt again!” he scolded.

Steve instinctively wrapped his arms around the little boy, but he froze when he fully registered the endearment.  He looked up at Danny. “Da-daddy?” he croaked.

Nahele and Grace glanced at him as well.  Danny tapped his temple with an index finger.

“We got this,” Nahele assured him.

Danny nodded and exited the room, leaving Steve alone with the kids.

Grace moved closer.  “Charlie, can you move please so Dad can eat?”

He did as she requested, scrambling to sit beside Steve.  

Once more, Steve took a sharp inhale at being addressed with a paternal title.  Grace set the tray on his lap and occupied the spot where her biological father had been sitting.  “We stopped calling you ‘uncle’ a little before the wedding,” she explained.

Ah - right; Steve was married to Danno.  He supposed it made sense that their perception and their name for him might change.

Nahele circled around to sit near Charlie.  “I started after you adopted me,” he offered.  “You were always more of a dad than my real father anyway.”

Steve had no idea what to say to that.  He’d always harbored a small twinge of regret that he’d never offered to adopt him.  It wasn’t because he didn’t love the kid. Once they’d gotten past their rough start, he’d taken the time to get to know him and understand his difficult home situation.  Afterwards, he’d done his best to be a friend and mentor, made sure he got into a stable foster home, and even went as far as to get him a job working for Kamekona. When Nahele’s father showed up to make trouble, Steve protected him, and later, he was a shoulder to cry on when his father died some time after.  

In spite of all that, Steve hadn’t considered himself parent material.  His life at the time of their meeting had been too chaotic, and he hadn’t been ready to make the necessary sacrifices required of a good dad.  He’d changed his tune since then, but neither he nor Nahele made any mention of them becoming a legal family, though they certainly were in regards to affection.

Apparently, aside from all the magic and monsters, Steve’s maturity had changed enough to the point that Steve, and by marriage extension, Danny, had officially welcomed him into his - _their_ \- home.  

“You should eat before the food gets cold,” Nahele advised.  He shifted to recline on his side, lying in the opposite direction of Steve and supporting himself on his elbow.  “It’ll make you feel better.”

“I’m not sick,” Steve protested.  Of course, as soon as he’d said it, his insides churned and a wave a nausea hit him.

Grace leveled a reproachful glare at him.  “We heard you throwing up last night, Dad. Plus, Danno told us you might have hurt your head because you’re having trouble remembering things.”

“Danno _told_ you that?”

Nahele responded, “Yeah.  They were his last words for the day.”

“Last words?”  Steve narrowed his eyes.  

“Danno was cursed by an angry magic seal,” Grace elaborated, her tone deadly serious.  “He can only speak seven times a day.”

“O-oh.”  That statement spawned a lot of questions, but Steve’s first reaction was to consider the argument he’d had with Danny before the raid on Caapi’s hideout, before he’d been thrust into this alternative world.  Was it possible that his angry outburst had translated into an actual consequence?

No, that couldn’t be.  Steve brushed the notion aside.  As far as he knew, he didn’t have that kind of power, or _any_ power for that matter.  And it wasn’t what he wanted, whatever he might have wished in a moment of thoughtless rage.  

“Eat,” Grace implored.  “You promised to go swimming with us before everyone gets here.”

“Although we’ll understand if you don’t feel up to it,” Nahele said.  He reached over and helped himself to some of the pineapple in the bowl.

Charlie stole a slice of bacon from the plate with a sneaky grin.

“No, no.  I’ll be fine.”  Steve picked up the fork and took a tentative bite of a fried egg.  He hoped he’d be able to keep it down.

“What about the balloons?” Charlie asked.

Steve drank the milk.  “The what?”

“For the wedding,” Nahele elaborated.  “Aunt Kono put us in charge of blowing up balloons to tie to the chairs.”

“Wedding?”

“Uncle Junior and Aunt Tani’s,” said Grace.  “It’s tomorrow, and we’re hosting it here.” Her face fell at his blank stare.  “You really don’t remember? Do you - do you remember _anything_?”

Charlie crawled onto his knees and put his arms around Steve’s neck.  Grace admonished her brother and steadied the food tray.

“Dad?  You remember _me_ , don’t you?”  Charlie’s bottom lip quivered.

Steve’s heart clenched at the anguish in that precious little face.  He rubbed his chin and made a show of thinking really hard. “Hmm. I’m not sure.  Do I know any little boys named Charlie who like to steal bacon from my plate and is super ticklish on his tummy?”

He wiggled his fingers threateningly.  Charlie squealed with laughter as Steve attacked his sides and stomach.

Grace poked Steve’s leg to get his attention.  “By the way, you should apologize to Danno.”

Steve let Charlie catch his breath.  “Apologize?”

“Yeah,” Nahele agreed.  “He was really worried about you.  You went hunting without him and got hurt.  You know he feels guilty when that happens.”

“Danno’s sad,” Charlie concurred, still wheezing.  He caught his breath and added, “I don’t like it. He’s too cold to hug or play with when he’s sad.”

“Cold,” Steve echoed, recalling the abrupt temperature drop and Danny’s hypothermic complexion.  

The kids didn’t say any more on the topic, and Steve decided not to ask them, lest he cause further concern.

With assistance from Nahele and Charlie, Steve finished his breakfast.  He genuinely felt better with a full stomach, and promised that he was healthy enough to play with them in the water before their friends arrived.  The three of them gathered up the empty tray and cleared the room to let Steve get dressed.

It was the first time he’d been alone since he’d woken up in this strange, new existence.  Maybe now he could get his bearings. Perhaps if he treated it like a survival scenario, he might make it through with his sanity intact.

 _‘Okay,’_ he thought, ' _First steps: assess the situation, take inventory of my resources, see to any physical needs, and collect information.’_  

He conducted a sweep of his body.  Someone had removed the grey tunic and leggings and replaced them with light sleep pants and a shirt, and other than some residual lethargy, he felt fine.  As far as he could tell, he had no major injuries to be concerned about.

Thanks to Danny and the kids, he was fed and well rested.  Add a few more points to the positives column.

Next, he needed to figure out where he was in the physical and, given all that he’d endured thus far, the metaphysical sense.  

The first part was easy.  This looked like his bedroom.  The layout, the furniture, the decor - all was as it should be.

Steve stood up and entered the adjoining bathroom.  It too looked completely normal.

 _‘Hmm,’_ he hummed.  ' _I guess indoor plumbing and electricity is a thing here.’_  And yet, during the battle with the hellhounds, none of his team had used firearms, and had worn outdated clothes and armor.  

He decided not to overthink it.  

He relieved himself and then turned on the faucet to wash his hands and face.  Part of him hoped the water would snap him out of whatever this was, but the cold splash on his skin felt far too real.  He lifted his head to look in the mirror.

He never spent much time in front of it, neither to perform routine ablutions nor to assess himself; he had far more important things to do.  If he hadn’t been actively searching for discrepancies, he might have missed the fact that his hair was back to the length it was when he’d first started Five-0, and he did not have the grey streaks he’d been sporting over the past year.  Like Danny, he looked younger and sharper, maybe still in his late twenties.

He ran a hand over the smooth contours of his chin.   _Did I go back in time?’_ he wondered.

It was one possibility, but it didn’t account for all the other weird stuff.  The hellhounds, his friends’ altered appearances and powers, medieval weapons, armor and clothes - if he didn’t know any better, Steve would think he’d stepped into one of Jerry’s fantasy games.

_“Life and death… past and present… fantasy and reality… In The Land Between, the things you’ve always known and the things you most desire collide.  Your experiences, your thoughts - however fleeting - take shape.”_

Was this a continuation of his dream in the woods?  Was this _The Land Between_ that the spirits spoke of?  And was it a real place, or just a conjuring of his subconscious?  Steve was leaning towards the first possibility. As crazy as it was, every sense he possessed was reacting as they should.  The sights, sounds and smells of this place were as vivid as ever, and pain, hunger and exhaustion continued to affect him.

 _‘Alright, until there’s a reason to think otherwise, I’m gonna work under the premise that all of this is real,’_ Steve decided.  It was a small consolation.  It didn’t make things easier to digest per say, but he’d give himself another headache if he kept up the existential crisis.

He was no slouch in the intelligence department, but he preferred action over analysis.   He’d much rather play along, follow his instincts and do whatever came naturally, unless something happened to significantly alter the postulate.

He finished cleaning up and walked back into the bedroom.  He paused in the middle of the room and mused that things could be worse.  He was in his own house, was married to the love of his life (he almost needed to sit down at that), and was the adoptive father to the three best kids he knew.

And one of those kids was impatient to go swimming with him.  Charlie ran back into the room without knocking, wearing plain, black shorts and carrying a towel.  “I’m ready, Daddy. Can we go now?”

Steve’s heart did a little flip.  “In a sec, Charlie. I gotta change yet.”  He crouched to be at eye level with the boy.  “Did you drink some water this morning? It’s very important that we don’t get dehydrated when we go swimming.”

Charlie made the same sour face as his father whenever he was told to do something disagreeable.  “No,” he confessed.

“I need you do that while I get dressed,” Steve instructed.  “I’ll meet you outside.”

“Okay,” Charlie sighed.

“Okay,” Steve copied him.  He patted the kid’s head and guided him out the door.  He closed and locked it behind him.

Knowing that he wouldn’t be placated for long, Steve rummaged through the dresser, searching for his board shorts, or this world’s equivalent.  

The drawers were organized exactly as Steve liked them, but each one was full to the brim and devoid of polo shirts, flower-patterned button downs, cargo pants or jeans.  They had been replaced by solid colored linen and cotton shirts, loose, earth-toned trousers and thick, form-fitting leggings. There was also a plethora of socks and briefs, more than enough for the two men to share.  But the closest he could find to swimming attire was a couple of cutoff shorts.

He chose a dark blue pair that looked to be his size, stripped out of his dirty clothes, and slipped them on.  He braced himself and left the sanctuary of his bedroom.

Making his way downstairs, Steve discovered that, like the bedroom, the house remained mostly normal in its layout and design, except there was no television, computers or phones that he could see, and every room was cluttered with the evidence of multiple occupants.  Extra furniture, toys, crafts, clothes - all made it abundantly clear that Nahele and the Williams family were right at home.

The lanai, the backyard and the beach were all untouched except for one new feature.  About twenty-five yards away from the shore, a floating archery target bobbed on the surface of the water.  Danny was standing near the Adirondack chairs, bow in hand and a half-empty quiver laying on the ground at his feet.  As Steve closed the distance between them, he noticed that the target was peppered with holes, particularly around the bull’s eye.  However, Danny wasn’t currently aiming for the middle. Instead, he was shooting them in a curved line so that their placement formed a frowny face on the target.

Steve couldn’t help staring at his friend; it was fascinating to watch how poised he appeared.  Graceful was not a word one would use to describe Daniel Williams, or at least not in comparison with the other members of Five-0.  Where Steve had precision and efficiency, Chin had calm and quiet strength, and Kono had fluidity and balance, Danny had more of a nervous energy and that scrappy Jersey attitude.  That was probably true of the fiery spirit he’d offended yesterday, but this version was cool and calculating in his melancholy.

Steve waited for him to empty his quiver before he dared approach.

“Danno.  Can we talk?  Or… can I talk while you listen?  Um…”

Danny cuffed Steve on the back of the head.  He set aside his bow, plopped down onto one of the chairs, and gestured for Steve to join him.

Steve took his usual place and stared out over the water, as though the rolling waves might provide him with the proper words needed to assuage Danny’s sadness.  Grace had said he needed to apologize, but for what precisely? Something about going “hunting” without him?

“Hey, so… I get that you’re upset with me,” he started.  He glanced at Danny in time to catch his _‘No shit, Sherlock'_ face.  Steve held back a laugh.  “I’m not really sure why.”  He took a stab based on the tidbits of information he’d absorbed from the children this morning and the team yesterday.  “I suppose it's because I left to do a job without you, right?”

Danny rolled his wrist as if to say, “Go on.”

“But - so what?  I’m fine. And you and the rest of the team - you’re all safe.  Let it go.”

Danny scrubbed a hand across his face.  “I can’t.”

It had been hours, maybe longer, since Steve had heard his voice in the waking world, and he couldn’t believe how much he’d missed it.  He wanted to say as much, but Danny rushed on.

“Steve, I’m not the only one who’s hurt by this; I’m just the only one willing to call you out on a regular basis.  And it’s not your recklessness that bothers me - not anymore, seeing as how you’ve pretty much conditioned me to expect it.  It’s your blasé attitude regarding the value of your life.

“I think, whether you admit it or not, you have it in your head that your life is less important than others’.  Anytime a mission is extremely dangerous, or I want to take point or go into a situation first, you either take off without me, or you guilt me into staying back by talking about how much Grace and Charlie need me.  But here’s the thing: they need _you_ too. Nahele needs you. **I** need you.

“You can’t keep going off on your own without help.  Your life isn’t worth any more or less anyone else’s.  I want you to love yourself enough to understand how unacceptable your death would be.

“Your friends and family love you, Steven.  I wish you knew how much.”

Steve wanted to say that _of course_ he knew.  He had a great group of friends,  _Ohana_ , that he could rely on for anything at all.  And that included Danny, who was and always would be the best friend he’d ever known, save one.  

But the earnestness in Danny’s voice and the sheer frustration etched on his face gave him pause.  When _was_ the last time he actually asked anything of his friends for a personal matter?  With work, he simply gave orders, expecting them to be followed. But during his most difficult crises, his team had injected themselves into his problems, most often by following Danny’s lead as he barged his way in.

Danny got to his feet.  He stood in front of Steve and placed his hands on both sides of his face.  He leaned down and kissed him on the forehead. His cracked, blue lips were freezing; Steve shivered, and not in the pleasant way.

Danny released him and moved to collect his gear, but Steve reached out and took hold of Danny’s hand, halting his movement.  Steve got up as well and crowded Danny’s personal space.

He couldn’t stand to see his partner so resigned.  He remembered when Danny had arranged the stress management intervention and his later admission of how scared he was for Steve.  And when Danny confessed that he had progressed to the point of losing sleep, Steve finally took note of the weariness and the dark circles under Danny’s eyes - the very same he now saw on this version of him.

“I’m sorry,” Steve whispered.

Danny offered him a tiny smile, then leaned in to give him another chaste kiss.

This time, Steve was ready, and he wasn’t about to waste the opportunity to kiss his longtime love for real.  His hands found Danny’s waist and pulled him closer. Danny made a slight noise of surprise, but he willingly complied.

Steve ducked his head and pressed his lips to Danny’s, hardly daring to believe that he was allowed to do this.  It was a moment he’d been dreaming of for years, and he wasn’t going to waste it.  While he slowly coaxed Danny’s lips apart so he could properly taste him, his hands wandered to explore the firm muscles of Danny’s upper back and trace the arch of his spine.

Danny positively melted into him.  His skin warmed under Steve’s touch, and his lips thawed when Steve bit them.  Steve’s fingers tangled into his hair, and he was pleased to discover that the blond locks were soft and silky, no longer coated with ice.

Danny moaned against his mouth when Steve’s hands drifted further south.

“Eww!  Dad! Can you not do that in front of us?”

Steve jumped back and released Danny like he was on fire.  He whirled around to find the children watching them.

Grace had her hands clamped over Charlie’s eyes.  “Come on, boys.” She nudged her brothers towards the beach.  She made a gagging motion when she walked past her fathers, but amusement danced in her eyes.

Charlie, however, noticed Danny’s improved mood.  He broke free from his sister’s grasp and skipped over to his father.  He latched onto Danny’s arm.

“Danno!  You’re not cold anymore.  Does that mean you'll come swimming with us?”

Danny made a valiant effort to conceal it from Charlie, but Steve caught the slight wince.  Thinking back on the previous day’s battle, he recalled that a hellhound had tackled Danny and chomped on his arm, but he must have been wearing armor beneath his jerkin.  He also remembered Lou saying something about him needing Steve’s “special brand of T.L.C.” One would think it was supposed to be some kind of innuendo, but there had been no inflection in Lou’s tone to indicate it.  It had sounded more like a matter-of-fact statement.

“Charlie,” Steve said, “how about you start doing some pre-swim stretches, hmm?  I’ll join you in a minute.”

“Okay!”  Charlie released Danny’s arm and went to join Grace and Nahele by the water’s edge.  

Steve pointed at the arm.  “Mind if I take a look at that?”

If his ability to speak hadn’t been restricted, Steve imagined that Danny would go off on him or outright refuse.  As it was, he merely rolled his eyes and held out his arm.

Steve took him by the wrist and rolled back the sleeve.

Now that Danny’s skin tone had returned to normal, dark, teeth-shaped bruises were clearly visible on his forearm.  Whatever he’d worn to protect the limb kept it from being torn to shreds, but the pressure from the monster’s jaw strength had still done a number on it.

Steve palpated the tender tissue.  He’d had plenty of training and practice in treating injuries in the field, and he had a decent knowledge of human anatomy.  Therefore, he didn’t find it strange when his mind conjured up images of bleeding blood vessels, broken capillaries, irritated nerves and tiny fractures on both the radius and ulna.  

It wasn’t that bad, but it alarmed Steve nonetheless.  This injury, taken in context with his theory that this was a state of reality, meant that he and his friends could be killed.  He might be wrong, but it wasn’t a chance he was willing to take.

And anyway, Steve didn’t like it when his partner in pain.  As always, he wished there was something he could do to fix it.

As if in answer, a sudden warmth began to pulse in his chest and spread to his fingertips.  It was nothing he’d ever felt before, but his instincts urged him not to withdraw his hands.  The gentle heat flowed from his body into Danny’s, as though Steve had become a conduit for some type of energy, which he transferred to Danny where their skin connected.

The images in his mind changed.  Steve imagined the cells in Danny’s arm regenerating at an accelerated rate.  The bones mended themselves, the nerves calmed and released their excess heat, and the bruises faded.

Steve gasped and dropped Danny’s arm.  He hadn’t realized it, but he’d been holding his breath.  His spine straightened reflexively, the way it did when a commanding officer barked his name, even as the rest of his body vibrated with barely suppressed energy.  It was as though someone had injected him with pure caffeine; he felt like he could run a marathon with no effort, and stamina to spare.

Charlie chose that moment to return, anxious to go swimming.  “Dad, I’m ready! Can we go now?” he stopped and stared at Steve.  He grinned. “Your wings are back! Will you take me flying before they go away?  Please, Daddy?”

“What are you talking about, buddy?”

Danny pointed at something over Steve’s shoulder.  Steve rotated his neck and valiantly managed not to scream.  

Extending out of his back were two shimmering, golden wings.  From what he could see from the angle, they were long and narrow, probably best suited for soaring with wind currents.  They shifted, flexing and extending without any conscious command on Steve’s part, as if they were just another ordinary limb.

The backdoor of the house swung open and crashed shut.

“Hey Steve, Danny.  Hope you don’t mind if we let ourselves in.  Woah! You guys okay?”

Adam Noshimura stood on the lanai with a couple of cloth bags dangling from his arms.  Kono stepped out of the door behind him, as did Chin and Abby, with little Sara in tow, and Lou and Renee with their children.

“Steve, are you alright?” asked Renee.  “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Steve almost laughed.  He’d seen a great many things over the last (was it two?) days, ghosts included.  Wings sticking out of his back should be no big deal, but it was.

He slipped down into his Adirondack chair and put his head between his knees.

* * *

Steve was a Navy SEAL.  He may have been retired, but the traits that defined that elite group had been ingrained into the fabric of his being.  One of those traits was adaptability. At any given time, he had been expected to absorb mission information, memorize plans, and adjust to any and all unforeseen circumstances.  

But waking in  _The Land Between_ was sorely testing him.  All in all, Steve thought he had taken everything fairly well so far.  He felt he could be forgiven for having a minor meltdown after learning that he too had superpowers.

Danny and Kono escorted him back into the house and had him sit on the living room couch with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders.  When he did not respond to their inquiries about his state of mind, they left him alone for a brief period.

After about ten minutes, Lou came in and pulled up a chair.  Working under the hypothesis that he was suffering from temporary memory loss, he offered to answer any questions Steve might have.

He gave Steve a brief overview of the region they all called home, which wasn’t much different from what Steve had known.  The islands, the cities - they remained unchanged. But beyond that, everything he described seemed to come out of a role playing game or fantasy movie.

Five-0 was not a government sanctioned task force; they were a Hunter’s Guild that behaved more like bounty hunters than law enforcement.  They’d track down and capture or kill criminals or monsters for a price. They operated entirely outside of the law, not _that_ dissimilar from the task force, but here, they were subject to fines and prosecution.  Despite this, the state’s governing party contracted them to deal with difficult or unsavory missions, though they did not officially support or condone Five-0’s methods unless it benefited them.

Despite appearances, its members were all human at their core, but their bloodlines, personalities, experiences and connections to the natural order of things had awakened special “gifts” in each of them.

“Chin and Kono have - hmm, _evolved_ isn't quite the right word, but it’s the best I can come up with - into nymphs,” Lou explained.  “They can tap into the energies of nature and transform themselves, or call upon the substance of the earth to help them.  You can too, to some degree. So can anyone else with enough practice, but Kono practically lives in the water, and Chin loves to be outdoors - camping, fishing, what have you.  They’ve dedicated themselves to it.”

“Okay,” Steve said, nodding along.

“Danny’s an elemental,” Lou went on.  “Emotions run strong in his family, and when he lost the ability to express himself freely, it started to come out in other ways.  When he’s really angry, he burns - literally.  If he’s sad, he shuts down and goes cold. He could probably use that in combat if he worked at it, but generally, he’s too unpredictable to control.”

“Right.”

“As for me,” Lou leaned back in his chair and folded his hands behind his head, smug and relaxed.  “Well, I’m just plain strong and smart.”

Steve huffed with an indulgent smile.  “Of course you are.”

“No, really,” Lou insisted.  “Okay, there’s more to it than that.  I’ve got a little bit of foresight. If I concentrate, I can sometimes see what’s going to happen in the near future.  I’m also an empath; I can read people’s emotions when I want to, even the ones they try to hide. It makes me a pretty good negotiator.”

Steve could believe that.  Lou was excellent at reading almost any situation and reacting appropriately.  He could be fearless and merciless when taking down deserving criminals, but he also had the soft demeanor needed to connect with victims or panicked perps who only needed someone to listen.

He supposed the things Lou described about the others were plausible.  When it came down to it, the team’s powers were simply magical expressions of some of their innate attributes.  It wasn’t a full picture; people were beyond complex and couldn’t be defined by a single term, but there was some comfort in knowing that at their core, his _Ohana_ remained consistent.

“That brings us to you.”  Lou’s grin softened and his eyes shone with admiration.  “Five-0’s avenging angel; our healer.”

“Healer?”  Steve couldn’t stop the disappointment from creeping into his voice.  If he remembered correctly, healers in movies and games were usually the weakest - easily killed and in constant need of protection.

“Well, yeah,” Lou said, as though this was obvious.  “Come on; you know you’re one tough sonofabitch, and no one’s gonna usurp your _‘Badass Extraordinaire’_ title.  But that’s not where you really shine, pun intended.”

Steve made a face at Lou’s lame joke.

“Think about it.  Five-0’s made up of some crazy, fucked up individuals, none of whom would be as functional and healthy, physically and emotionally, if it hadn’t been for you.  Hell, none of us would even be friends if you hadn’t sought us out. You made us a family, and you were there for each one of us at our weakest moments. When the world tears us apart, you’re the one that puts us back together.”

“And the wings?” Steve asked.

“It’s called an _adrenaline aura_.  You explained it to me once, but I didn’t really get it.  I think you told me it has something to do with the hormones your body releases when you use your healing powers.  You get a temporary rush, and that’s when you’re able to manifest wings. You’re also stronger and faster, but only for a few minutes, basically the time it would take to dispatch enemies or make an escape.”

“Huh.”  Steve had a sudden vision of himself as Super Mario, collecting an invincibility star and speeding through a 2-D platform level, leaping over block towers and dashing through hordes of goombas.  He snorted at that.

“What?” Lou asked.

“Nothing.”

“Hey, Lou?”  Adam’s head appeared around the kitchen corner.  “We could use your help hanging up decorations. And Steve, you’re supposed to help me watch the kids.”

“We’ll be out in a minute,” Lou answered.  

Nodding, Adam departed.  Lou put his hands on his knees and pushed himself up.  “We better get to it then. You gonna be okay, brother?”

“I - I think so,” Steve mumbled.   It wasn’t like he had a choice.

Lou started for the kitchen.

“Oh, wait!” Steve called.  “What about Eddie? Where is he?”

Lou paused on the threshold.  “Your Familiar? He’s always with you, but he only appears physically when you call him, provided neither of you are seriously injured.”

Deeming the conversation over, Lou left to help the others.

 _‘He comes when I call?’_ Steve thought.  _'I don’t gotta do an elaborate summoning ritual or something?’_

Steve placed his hands on his hips.  “Eddie? Here boy!”

He blinked once, and suddenly the yellow lab was there, sitting at his feet and looking up at him with his excited doggy grin.

“Steve!”  Eddie jumped on him, tail wagging.  “Are you better now? Can we play?”

Steve scratched his floppy ears.  “I’m about to go swimming with the kids.  Wanna come?”

* * *

 Steve spent the morning playing with the Five-0 kids, with help from Adam and Jerry.  Once they’d had enough of the water and changed into dry clothes, they went to work blowing up white balloons to use as embellishments for the outdoor furniture.    

The other members of the team were busy turning the backyard into a wedding venue.  Chin and Danny assembled a white, wooden arch on the beach; Abby and Kono set up chairs in rows facing the arch, and tables for food, and Lou and Renee hung flower wreaths and colored baubles on strings around the yard and in the trees.

Kamekona and Flippa arrived around lunchtime.  They served the hungry wedding planners a sandwich lunch, and then went to work prepping food for the following day.

Night had fallen by the time they were done.  Danny cooked a spaghetti dinner for everyone. After the meal, everyone pitched in to help clean the house - everyone except for Jerry.  He was busy helping Charlie pack an overnight bag for the following evening.

Lou caught Steve watching the two of them in the living room, haggling over the number of toys he could bring.  “Don’t worry,” he said. “It’s only one night. He and Kamekona will take good care of him, and Nahele and Grace will be there too.  They’ll all be fine.”

“It’s not that,” Steve said.  “I was wondering why they’re spending the night with him.  The wedding’s supposed to be over well before their bedtime.”

“Really?” Lou looked at him like he was a moron.  “We’re going to a wedding, the most romantic event there is.  Other married couples get nostalgic when they attend weddings, among other things.”  He looked over his shoulder at his wife with a suggestive leer. “We play our cards right, and the newlyweds won’t be the only ones getting some action; you know what I'm saying?  You don’t want to risk traumatizing the children, do you?”

Steve’s neck grew warm.  He glanced at Danny, who was seated on the couch and reviewing a “To Do” checklist.

He must have felt Steve’s eyes on him, because he looked up and smiled.

Steve looked away, his face reddening.

* * *

The family bedtime routine was chaotic.  He and Danny had teenagers to contend with; Nahele and Grace couldn’t stop arguing over who got the shower first.  And then there was Charlie; he had decided to a revolt against the corrupt institution of bedtime, complete with a block barricade in the doorway to his and Nahele’s shared bedroom, a toy wooden sword, and a pillow shield.  As Danny was unable to issue verbal ultimatums, Steve had to be the one to negotiate the bath order, and bribe Charlie with the promise of chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast.

At last, he and Danny got everyone tucked in.  Nahele and Grace accepted hugs and kisses on their foreheads, and Danny took a shower while Steve read Charlie a bedtime story.  When all was said and done, Steve collapsed onto his bed more exhausted that he’d been at the conclusion of some of Five-0’s worst cases.

The only thing that stopped him from passing out immediately was the sound of running water, and Danny humming in the shower (soft, closed mouth noises didn’t count towards his daily total).  

Aside from his speech to Steve that morning, his only words that day had been to tell the kids he loved them.  Steve never thought he’d miss Danny’s rants so much, but that day had been nothing if not full of surprises.

And as he lay there contemplating all that had happened, he rather thought that this whole domestic thing was almost more unsettling (though not in a bad way) than the knowledge that he could heal wounds and grow wings.

The door to the bathroom opened.  Danny stepped out, wet hair clinging to his face and neck and a towel wrapped around his waist.  Without looking at Steve, he walked over to the dresser and pulled out a pair of sleep pants. He let the towel fall to the floor.

Steve audibly gulped.  He’d seen Danny shirtless lots of times.  He’d even seen him naked a time or two when they shared hotel rooms, and he’d accidentally walked into the bathroom while Danny was changing.  But this level of intimacy with his partner was unexplored territory for Steve.

It was as beautiful as it was terrifying.  His body throbbed with want, but his mind told him to restrain himself in case he did something wrong.

Unaware of Steve’s dilema, Danny leaned over and did a little hop-shimmy to pull on his pants.  Steve’s tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth.

Danny ran his fingers through his hair, pushing the strands away from his face.  Steve’s fingers ached to take over the task.

Finally, Danny spun to face him.

Steve sat up, shoulders taut and lips pressed together, unsure of what to do or say.

Danny bit his bottom lip, his expression resigned.  “Hey,” he said, “You’ve had a long day, and I think you could use a night to yourself.  I’m gonna go sleep on the couch, but let me know if you need anything, okay?”

He walked over and kissed Steve on the cheek.  “Goodnight. Love you.”

Then he left the room, closing the door behind him.  

Steve moaned, flopped onto his back, and ground his palms against his eyes.  He wanted to chase after Danny, maybe toss him onto the mattress and fulfill another one of his fantasies, but he couldn’t deny that he needed more time to process.

But for now, he’d settle for sleep.  Steve dropped his arms and closed his eyes.


	5. Chapter 5

_“Steve, I need you to listen to me, alright?  For once in your goddamn life, I need you to_ **_hear_ ** _me.  You have to wake up.  This isn’t you. Steve McGarrett does not give up without a fight.  I need you to fight now and wake your ass up!”_

* * *

 Steve had been unable to make up his mind as to whether he wanted to wake up to the life he’d always known or in the new one, where the dangers were extraordinary but his heart and house was full.  In any event, he stirred in the latter, forced awake by a grumpy Nahele and a hyperactive Charlie bent on collecting his promised pancakes.

Charlie pounced onto Steve, landing on his stomach at just the wrong spot.  Steve fled to the bathroom to retch, leaving his sons to call their concern through the door.

Danny appeared to shoo them away, and once he’d completely emptied his digestive system, Danny handed him a glass of water and some saltines.  

After he washed up, Danny presented him with a pair of black trousers, a white collared shirt and a fitted grey vest.   He also handed him a rolled up piece of parchment paper with the best man’s speech, curiously written in Steve’s own handwriting.

They had just enough time to make breakfast for the kids, clean up and get everyone dressed when the bridal party arrived.  Tani, Kono, Abby and Renee greeted Steve with hugs; Tani thanked him for the use of his house and gave him an extra kiss on the cheek.  Then Grace led them up to the master bedroom, and the ladies went to work preparing the bride for her big day.

Kamekona, Flippa and a couple of their apprentices weren’t far behind.  They commandeered the kitchen, assembling shrimp dishes, kabobs and salads with expert efficiency.

The wedding was being officiated by Duke Lukela.  He and his wife entered and pulled various individuals, including Steve, aside to talk through their parts of the ceremony.  Thankfully, Steve just had to wrangle the groom at the right time and give the speech, so he wasn’t too nervous.

The rest of the guests trickled in at their leisure and mingled in the backyard, waiting for the main event to begin.  A couple of their colleagues (HPD in the world Steve knew) toted instruments with them, primarily guitars and hand drums; one woman brought a violin.  They set up close to the lanai, beneath the largest cluster of stringed lights.

Everyone from Five-0 was there with their families, as were many of their extended friends and acquaintances.  Nolani, Charlie Fong, Harry Langford - Max Bergman even turned up with a very pregnant Sabrina. Steve was overjoyed to see them all.

Junior was one of the last ones to report, looking dapper in a loose, long-sleeved, white shirt, cream-colored trousers and a colorful lei.  Contrary to his clean, relaxed attire, he looked like he was about to be deployed on a suicide mission.

Danny was the first to notice his agitation.  He used one of his allotted talks to urge Steve to take the groom aside and calm him down.

Steve led him down to the beach.  “Are you okay? You getting cold feet?”

“No!” Junior practically shouted.  He ran his hands over his afro. “No, sir.  I love Tani, and I want to marry her. No doubt about that.  And I want to spend the rest of my life with her.”

“But?” Steve prompted.

Junior stared at his bare feet.  “But what if I don’t make her happy?”

Steve gave him a little shove.  “I don’t think she would have agreed to marry you if you didn’t make her happy.”

“I guess,” Junior conceded.  “But working as a hunter for Five-0 is dangerous.  What if something happens to one of us? Or - or what if our relationship isn’t strong enough to survive the tough times?”  He pried his eyes away from the ground and searched Steve’s. “I want our union to be as strong as yours and Danny’s. But I’m afraid, sir.  What if I get myself killed? What if I do something stupid to break her hearts? What if she breaks mine?”

“Woah, slow down!” Steve interrupted.  He put his hands on Junior’s shoulders.  “Take a deep breath for me, alright?” He did.  “Listen, it's okay to be scared. The truth is - you’re gonna mess up.  Believe me, whether you mean to or not, you two WILL cause one another pain.  It’s part of being human. What matters is how you handle it afterwards. You’re going to have to work hard, and never stop fighting for the one you love.”

Steve dropped his arms and found Danny among the guests.  He was kneeling on the ground and listening to Chin’s niece Sara jabber on about her dress.

“You’ve seen the two of us fight.  We can go at it like we’re about to start a war.  And as much as I hate to admit it, there’s been times that I can honestly say I hated him.  I’m sure he’d concur. But when it comes down to the wire, I like to remember what it was like before I met him.  He drives me crazy, but my life would be meaningless without him. I - I love him, and I’ll do whatever I have to to keep him safe, and to make our relationship strong.  That’s the best I can do. It’s the best _anyone_ can do.”

Junior nodded slowly.  “You’re - you’re right.”  He breathed out and managed a smile.  “Thank you, sir. I think I’m good now.”

“You’d better be.  The team would pitch a fit if you wasted all their hard work.”

“Everyone did a great job putting this all together,” Junior said, looking at the decorations.  “We can’t thank you enough for hosting our wedding.”

Steve held out his hand and pulled Junior into a hug when he took it.  “It’s my pleasure.”

“Excuse me, everyone!”  Duke had migrated to stand below the wooden arch and was waving for attention.  “We are ready to begin. Will the groom please join me while everyone else finds their seats?”

“Show time!”  Steve wrapped an arm around the younger man and jostled him.  “Go get ‘em, buddy!”

He escorted Junior to the arch, gave him one more hug, and then sat down next to Nahele.  

Flippa moved to the edge of the area, his ukelele in hand.  At Duke’s signal, he struck a chord and began to play.

The lanai door opened.  Tani appeared in the opening, wearing a plain but elegant, white sundress and bright lei.  Her dark hair had been plaited into a crown, with flowers woven in the braid.

Danny, dressed in an almost identical fashion as Steve, moved to her side.  He held out his arm, and she placed her hand in the crook of his elbow.

She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek, her eyes shining with happy tears.  He returned the gesture, and then guided her down the aisle towards her husband-to-be.

The guests stood and beamed at Tani, whispering compliments and encouragements until she passed out of earshot and her hand was laid in Junior’s.   Junior mouthed his thanks to Danny, and Danny moved to stand beside Steve.

Flippa strummed the final note, and everyone except the bride and groom took a seat.

“My friends,” said Duke, “It is my privilege to welcome you to the union ceremony of Junior Reigns and Tani Rey.  But before they recite the binding vows, let us first remember how our hearts came to be, and reflect on what it means to be wholly dedicated to another.

“As you know, the world came into being long ago by the gods and goddesses of creation.  All that is or ever shall be are the fruits of their labor, made with skill by their hands.  But humans, it is said, were born from the laughter of the divine. We are their love made manifest, created to be in relationship with one another.

“Now in the beginning, we were empty shells, devoid of souls, and our capacity to love was wild and unfocused.  Therefore, seven gods and goddesses descended upon our ancestors and created the heart crysts, each after the manner of their own understanding, and placed them in the slumbering humans.  These seven hearts are what allow us to live and love. We associate with one another and are at our best when we operate fully and freely from our hearts, according to the way in which we are meant to relate to those around us.  All of this is told in detail in the _Lay of Creation_ , of which _The Song of Seven Hearts_ is but one part.”

Duke stopped and nodded to Flippa.  Jerry got up and joined him.

Flippa took up his instrument once more and started to play.  Then he and Jerry began to sing: 

_Love is the first blush of spring_

_The waking heart that’s found its wings_

_It is the freedom of the dance_

_The teasing wink, the sideways glance_

_When Ludus starts to sing_

 

_Love is a consuming flame_

_With a heart that worships the human frame_

_Bodies entwined in ecstacy_

_Passion, possession and jealousy_

_When Eros takes his aim_

 

_A heart for all_

_A heart for friends_

_A heart for love that never ends_

_A heart for the self_

_A heart for play_

_And a heart of passion, prone to stray_

_One for life and six for love_

_Bestowed to us from gods above_

_Seven hearts shall beat as one_

_Ere grief or death them overcome_

 

_Love is the sacrifice for those who are dear_

_The heart that’s loyal and sincere_

_For brothers in arms, steadfast and true_

_The family and friends who stand by you_

_When Philia appears_

 

_Love is selfless to all mankind_

_The heart that’s towards compassion inclined_

_It’s the gift that requires no return_

_A kindness that cannot be earned_

_Just as Agape designed_

 

_A heart for all_

_A heart for friends_

_A heart for love that never ends_

_A heart for the self_

_A heart for play_

_And a heart of passion, prone to stray_

_One for life and six for love_

_Bestowed to us from gods above_

_Seven hearts shall beat as one_

_Ere grief or death them overcome_

 

_Love is the marriage cemented with time_

_The patient heart that endures the climb_

_It’s the give and take, the unwavering soul_

_The fight to keep a family whole_

_For Pragma is sublime_

 

_Love is lenient towards one’s own reflection_

_The heart that accepts its imperfections_

_It’s the self that finds its value within_

_And is comfortable in one’s own skin_

_With Philautia’s affections_

 

_A heart for all_

_A heart for friends_

_A heart for love that never ends_

_A heart for the self_

_A heart for play_

_And a heart of passion, prone to stray_

_One for life and six for love_

_Bestowed to us from gods above_

_Seven hearts shall beat as one_

_Ere grief or death them overcome_

_Ere grief or death them overcome_  

Everyone applauded.  Flippa and Jerry bowed and took their seats near the back.

Steve clapped with the rest, but he was slightly distracted.  He’d never heard those words, but he was certain he’d heard the melody.  He couldn’t place where.

“As you have heard,” Duke continued, “the gods and goddesses each bestowed upon all mankind a heart, one which contains the individual soul and is necessary for life, and the other six with which we can love ourselves and others.  For love is the fulfillment of our being, and we are at our most human, and our most divine, when we love one another.

“Now, we love different people with different hearts, but to those who possess the good fortune and personal fortitude, there comes a day when they may find one person to whom they will love with _all_ of their hearts - all of their being.  And when it comes, they may choose to be forever bound to that one person as their soulmate.”

Danny set his hand over Steve’s.  Steve turned his head to look at him and was greeted with a sentimental smile.

Duke gestured to the young couple.  “For Junior and Tani, that day is today.  And now, if you are willing, prepare your hearts and recite after me.”

Junior brought his hands up in front of his chest, palms facing each other and spread a couple of inches apart.  Tani duplicated his actions.

Something began to glow, soft as candlelight, between each of their hands.

Steve leaned forward and looked on in amazement.   Between their hands hovered glittering, heart-shaped crystals.  Junior’s was a pale green, Tani’s a dark blue. Their surfaces looked hard but smooth, and multi-faceted like diamonds.  Jagged lines ran across them, dividing the whole into seven unequal, irregularly shaped parts.

“Junior, Tani - repeat after me,” said Duke.  “I - state your names…”

“I, Junior Reigns…”

“I, Tani Rey…”

“Do hereby swear to love and cherish you with all of my being.  From this day forth, you alone will occupy the whole of my hearts.  I shall love no other for as long as I live. You will be the first and last recipient of all that I have to give.  I hereby bind my hearts to yours, that we may be as one.”

They repeated him after each phrase.

The lights of their hearts pulsed brighter with each uttered vow.  When they concluded, the hearts exchanged a streak of light, like forks of lightning.  Junior and Tani lowered their hands, and the hearts vanished from view.

Duke placed a hand on their shoulders.  “And now, by your choice, the will of the gods, and the power vested in me by the sovereign nation of Hawaii, I now pronounce you soulmates.  You may kiss one another.”

They embraced and did just that, but their smiles were so wide, it was hardly a proper kiss.  Nonetheless, the crowd clapped and wolf-whistled.

Junior and Tani moved to the lanai, and the guests formed a line to offer hugs and congratulations.

Dinner was an informal affair; almost everyone stood and mingled while they ate.  Kamekona and his staff set everything on the tables, and everyone helped themselves whenever they wanted, though they deferred to Junior and Tani.

After the party goers made it through the first round of the meal, Steve gave the best man speech as it was written, and Danny used one of his seven speeches to toast Tani.  Their words were filled with pride for their young friends, and many happy tears were shed.

The remainder of the afternoon and early evening was dedicated to partying and socializing.  The chairs were moved to the perimeter of the yard to make room for dancing, and Flippa and Jerry joined the HPD band to provide music.

Steve shared a dance with almost everyone there, both male and female, young and old.  His most frequent partners were Grace and Charlie.

Danny was the only person with whom he did not dance at least once.  It was almost like he was actively avoiding him; whenever Steve tried to locate him, he was already paired with someone else, or he declined Steve’s invitation in favor of sitting with their friends and listening to their stories.

Yet sometimes their eyes met across the yard, and Danny would grin at him and wink with a strange glint in his gaze.  Steve couldn’t place that particular combination, but it made him tremble as though he were exposed.

After about a ninety minutes of fruitlessly chasing him, Steve gave up and sat down on the grass near the beach, pretending he wasn’t sulking.

He shifted his thoughts towards replaying the ceremony in his mind, unable to wrap his head around the spiritual tale and the practical demonstration of the heart binding.  Was that silly creation story true? What were these “heart crysts”? Were they extra organs, something that was a part of normal human anatomy or were they magic talismans?  Why were they referred to as _seven_ hearts, when what he saw was one heart divided into seven parts?

“Hey Steve.  Mind if I join you?”

He inclined his head at the speaker.  Abby Dunn stood next to him, a glass of red wine in each hand.  She offered one to him.

“Yeah, sure.”  He accepted the wine and took a sip.

“Thanks.”  She gathered her skirts and settled down at a close but respectable distance.  She leaned in and murmured, “There’s no need to pout, you know. Danny’s just messing with you.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

She giggled.  “Right. How foolish of me to assume that he’s playing hard-to-get with you because he doesn’t want to jump your bones in front of everyone.”

“W-what?”  Steve was glad he hadn’t taken a drink when she said that.  He was also grateful that the sun was setting. Hopefully the pink and gold hues reflected on the water shone on his face enough to cover up his blush.

Abby slapped his arm.  “Come on, Steve. Didn’t you notice?  He’s been undressing you with his eyes all day.”

Steve _hadn’t_ noticed, but perhaps that was because he could not recall ever being on the receiving end of Danny’s amorous attentions.  Loving, affectionate, even besotted? Those were all looks Danny had directed his way one time or another. But lustful or aroused?  That was new to Steve.

He and Abby shifted to observe the dancers over the shoulders.

The musicians were playing a lively swing number.  Danny was hand-in-hand with Harry Langford; he was leading the former MI6 agent in an easy triple step sequence, but they weren’t very good at staying together.  Both men laughed at their lack of synchronization.

They rotated on a rock step, which put Harry’s back to the beach and gave Steve a clear view of Danny’s face.

Danny caught him staring.  His eyelids dipped a fraction.  He smirked and wet his upper lip with a slow glide of his tongue.

Steve turned back to face the water and willed his lower half to calm down.

Abby giggled again.  They were quiet for a few minutes, content to drink their wine and watch the sun set.

Abby broke the silence.  “It was a lovely ceremony.  It’s the first time I’ve been to a wedding where the couple did the binding vows.”

“You and Chin didn’t say them at your wedding?”

“We’re not married yet,” Abby returned.  There was a hint of disappointment in her voice.  “And Chin’s been hesitant because of what happened to Malia.”

Steve nodded.  He remembered how broken up Chin had been after the death of his wife.  He’d handled it better than most might have, but it was an ache he doubted his friend would ever be rid of.

Thinking of their situation spawned a series of questions he’d been mulling over about the seven hearts and the binding vows.  He’d thought about asking Chin, but he already had Abby’s attention.

“Did Chin and Malia recite the binding vows?” he asked.

“Yes.  He was devastated when she died.  His hearts were severely damaged.”

“How does that work exactly?  What effect do these hearts have?”

Abby studied him with concern.  “Chin told me you were having memory problems, but this stuff is all common knowledge.  Also, Duke explained most of it pretty well, except he didn’t go into detail about the core cryst that gives us life.”

She cleared her throat.  “We all have seven heart crysts; one contains our soul and the others enable us to love; we love different people with the different hearts depending on how we are related to them.  However, the hearts can be damaged or completely shattered by betrayal, time, death or other things. Luckily, as long as there is a piece of the cryst remaining, it can heal and regenerate over time, though usually not fully.  Shattered hearts _never_ recover.  

“And people _can_ go on living without them.  In fact, some people are only born with a life cryst and cannot love anyone.  I personally think it’s a painful, empty existence, but it happens.

“In Chin’s case, losing Malia broke his hearts, but enough was left for them to regrow.  They are scarred, but he is more than capable of loving fully again, and he can bond with another if he wants.”

Steve pondered that.  “But didn’t Duke say that the binding vows were ‘forever’ and that saying them made the couple soulmates?”

Abby shrugged.  “It is and it isn’t.  Binding yourself to another person doesn’t mean you don’t love your family, friends or children.  It also doesn’t mean that you can’t fall in love with someone else after a death or make you incapable of cheating on your significant other, though it does lessen the inclination.  

“And the whole concept of soulmates has been widely misinterpreted.  People like to think it means you’re destined to love one specific person, and only that person with every heart, but that’s simply not true.  We may not be able to choose who or what we fall in love with, but it’s still a choice to get up every day and continue to love your partner with everything you have.  Also, plenty of people bond to a soulmate without getting married. And lots of people get married without becoming soulmates, because it can be utterly debilitating to have your hearts broken by any means.  Some people never come back from their grief. Chin was able to because he had good friends, like you, to lean on. Ultimately, it’s up to the couple to decide how deep their relationship will go.”

Steve rubbed his forehead with his free hand.  All the information he’d had to absorb over the past two days was giving him chronic migraines, but he filed Abby’s words for later consideration.

“Anyway,” she said, “I know Chin loves me, and I don’t feel threatened by Malia’s memory, but we haven’t come to an agreement on what we’d like to do.”

Steve forced his swirling thoughts to the back of brain.  He reached over and patted her hand. “You’ll figure it out.  Like you said, Chin loves you. He’s not the type of guy to string someone along or love with anything less than his whole heart - er - hearts.  Be patient.”

Abby curled her fingers around his.  “I know. Thank you. And it's not the end of the world if he doesn’t want to bind our hearts.  I’ll still agree to marry him, if he ever asks, and be content. I guess we’ll be like you and Danny that way.”

Steve frowned and went motionless.  “Me and Danny?”

Abby waved her hand dismissively.  “You two didn’t recite the binding vows at _your_ wedding, but there isn't a person in the world who doubts your love for each other.  So if you two can make it work, I’m sure there’s hope for Chin and me.”

“I see.”  Steve maintained a neutral outward appearance, but inwardly, her comments about Danny and himself stung.

He loved Danny with all of his heart (hearts).  He would be more than willing to commit himself solely to his partner with the binding vows, whatever the risks.  Had Danny been unable to reciprocate?

Steve tried not to take it personally.  For all he knew, they’d decided against it because of the children.  Abby did say that broken hearts could be debilitating. Nahele, Grace and Charlie needed them to be fully functioning parents, and if a broken heart had the power to cripple them, he and Danny may have agreed to keep that slight barrier in their relationship.

Yes, that had to be it.  It was a logical choice, but he didn’t find solace in it.

Steve bowed his head.  

* * *

Steve escorted the last of the guests out and closed the door with a weary sigh.  He’d meant what he’d said to Junior about being honored to host the wedding, but it was nice to have the house to himself again.

Scratch that; with the guests AND the kids gone, he AND Danny had the house to _themselves_.  

 _“We play our cards right, and the newlyweds won’t be the only ones getting some action,”_ Lou had said.

Steve pictured the heated looks Danny had sent his way all evening.  Danny was his for the taking; all Steve had to do was go after him.

On the other hand, he couldn’t stop thinking about his conversation with Abby.  He was kind of afraid to bring it up, but he really wanted to know why - if they were so in love - didn’t they go through with the binding vows.  Were the kids the reason? Or was Danny not as invested in their relationship as Steve wanted them to be?

If he wanted answers, he needed to go to the source.  Steve backtracked through the house to find his partner, whom he’d last seen picking up trash in the yard.

Most of the furniture and decor had been left in place; the team was set to return tomorrow afternoon to help clear away the extra tables and chairs and return everything to its proper place, but Danny had already moved the Adirondack chairs back to where they belonged.

Danny lounged in “his” chair, head tilted back and legs stretched out in front of him.  He was smiling peacefully with his eyes closed, but he opened them at Steve’s approach.

Steve took his place beside him.  “Well,” he began, “that was fun, but I’m glad it's over.”

Danny hummed in agreement.

Steve wondered what was the best way to express what was on his mind.  If he’d counted correctly, Danny could only speak one more time before the day was over.  Steve would have to get all of his inquiries out at once so that Danny could answer them in one go.

The whole talking curse was a lot more frustrating than Steve anticipated.  Besides the inability to freely ask questions, he really missed having a two-sided conversation with Danny.  He missed their banter, and Danny’s opinionated rants. He even missed their most furious arguments, because at least Steve would know what Danny was thinking.  Of the two of them, Danny was better at interpreting body motions and facial cues, and he could always read Steve like a book.

Steve was not so skilled.

“So…” he said, unable to think of a way to ease into the conversation, “I was talking to Abby earlier, and she told me something that’s been bothering me.  We were talking about the binding vows, and how she wasn’t sure what she and Chin were going to do. Then she mentioned that you and I did not go through the vows at _our_ wedding.”

Steve’s palms were sweating.  He rubbed them on his pants legs.

“I’m sure we talked about it before, but I can’t recall.  So I was wondering if you could tell me why we decided against them.”

He didn’t dare meet Danny’s eyes; he did not know what he’d see.  Anger, exasperation, pity - no matter what, it wouldn’t be good.

Danny didn’t answer for a long time, so long that Steve flinched when he touched his arm to get his attention.  With great effort, he faced his friend.

Danny held up his hands the way Junior and Tani had during their vows.  A tiny ball of light appeared between them and took shape. His heart crysts materialized in a grey-blue flash.

They were incredible up close.  Steve inspected them in awe, taking in every detail.  He’d gathered from _The Song of Seven Hearts_ that each heart allowed Danny to love people a certain way, but he did not know which one was which.  Most of them were fairly intact, but two of the hearts had deep cracks in them. He guessed that signified an old grief that Danny continued to carry - maybe the loss of his brother and the collapse of his first marriage.

The jagged lines that separated the hearts were filled in by a dark green crystalline substance.  That same substance curled around each cryst like the prongs of a ring, protecting them and holding them together.

“I didn’t like you at all when we first met,” Danny said.  “I’d worked with soldier types before, and I fully expected you to fit right into the arrogant, alpha-male, jackass mold.  You kind of did to some degree.

“But you were also incredibly kind to me, more than anyone I’d ever met, and before I knew it, you had become my best friend.  There was no one in the world I trusted more. We were so close that we made a promise to be together always, as friends, long before there was ever a thought of us being in a relationship.  

“And then, over the years, you managed to annoy, coerce, harass, seduce and love your way into my other hearts.  These green lines you see around my crysts? That’s you, woven into every part of me. We didn’t need to do the binding vows at our wedding, because it happened naturally.  We were already bound to each other; the wedding was just a legality. ”

Danny lowered his hands, and his heart crysts vanished.  

He reached out to put his hand on the back of Steve’s neck, and pulled gently so that their foreheads touched.  “I love you, Steven John McGarrett, with all of my hearts. And I always will. Never doubt that.”

Steve released a shuddering breath.

Danny pulled back and moved the tips of his fingers to Steve’s forehead.  Steve’s eyes fluttered shut as Danny traced his hairline, the sides of his face, and his jaw.  His thumb brushed over Steve’s lips, then started to withdraw.

Steve opened his eyes part way and took Danny’s hand.  He brought Danny’s thumb back to his lips. His tongue flicked out to taste the tip, and then he sucked the digit into his mouth.

Danny choked on a gasp, his eyes going dark with arousal.  He held still for all of five seconds, then wrenched his hand free and surged forward, replacing his thumb with his lips.

Steve tilted his head for a better angle.  He moaned when Danny opened his mouth and allowed Steve to lick his way inside.

They started out slow - tender and sweet - but their kisses swiftly gained heat and momentum.  Hands scrambled in search of skin, and Steve tried to pull Danny into his lap.

Danny tore his mouth away.  Steve whined at the loss, but Danny pointed to the house, making it clear with the motion and a sultry smile that he didn’t want to stop, just relocate.

Steve mirrored Danny’s expression and jumped to his feet.  He captured Danny by the waist and kissed him again while shuffling them towards the lanai.

They only made it about halfway before Danny lost his patience.  He twisted out of Steve’s grasp, shot him a “come hither” look, and ran for the bedroom.

Steve laughed in delight and chased after him.


	6. Chapter 6

Unsurprisingly, Steve was awake first (Danny was a self-proclaimed champion sleeper, when his insomnia permitted it), but he was more than happy to be up before his partner.  It gave him the opportunity to watch the sunrise cast its cheerful rays through the half open window, and illuminate Danny’s body in a heavenly glow.

The sheets had pooled around their waists, moved away in response to the warm night, their skin overheating even after the sweat from their vigorous exertions had cooled.  They’d fallen asleep curled around one another, but Danny had shifted away at some point to lie on his stomach. His arms were loosely wrapped around a pillow, and his legs were tangled in a large section of the sheets, leaving Steve with just enough to cover his sensitive bits.

Steve had spent hours last night exploring every inch of his partner, touching and tasting skin that turned out to be just as delicious as he’d imagined.  Danny had been just as eager to let him, which made it all the more thrilling.

Steve wanted more - all day, every day, if he could get it.

Unable to resist that beautiful body any longer, Steve scooted closer and ran his hand along Danny’s back, tracing the ridges of his spine, and pressed light, open-mouthed kisses to his neck and shoulders.

Danny stirred and made a high whining noise, but it was not the aroused, needy kind Steve had been hoping for.

Without opening his eyes, Danny reached down and slapped the bed until he found the edge of a sheet.  He tugged it up and over his head.

“Aww, come on, Danno,” Steve begged.  He set a hand on Danny’s hip. “The kids won’t be back from Kamekona’s until this afternoon.  We’ve got the whole morning to ourselves. We shouldn’t waste it.” He tried to pry the sheet away.  

Danny grunted and held on tighter. His other hand snaked out and swatted Steve away.

He backed off with a sigh.  Considering he’d kept Danny awake half the night for their amorous activities, he should let him rest.  Besides, in this reality, they’d been together a long time. For Danny, the sex wasn’t new like it was for Steve, though it hadn’t been quite like what he’d expected.

Oh, it’d felt wonderful in the moment.  Touching Danny, being inside him, watching him fall apart under Steve’s ministrations - all had been better than his wildest fantasies.  But Danny’s inability to speak had kind of put a damper on things. He hadn’t been able to tell Steve what he liked and didn’t like, or moan his name in ecstasy.  Plus, Steve had always assumed that his partner would have a wonderfully dirty mouth in bed, and he’d been looking forward to finding out if he was right. They worked around it and got off just fine, but it left Steve wanting.  Repeat performances every few hours hadn’t improved that aspect.

But Steve would take what he could get while he could, and if he worked for it, he might be able to seduce Danny into a round four (or was it five?).

Both of their stomachs growled and churned, and Steve saw an opening.  “Hey, how about I go for a swim and make you breakfast first?” he proposed.  “And then we get back into bed, hmm?”

Danny seemed to consider this.  He stuck his hand out from under the sheet and gave a thumbs up.

Steve grinned and planted one more kiss to the back of his husband’s head.  “Love you, Danno.”

He pulled on a pair of shorts and went for a nice, long swim.  Sadly, he returned to find Danny awake, showered and fully dressed in the living room, a grim expression on his face.

“What is it?” he asked.

Danny held out a folded sheet of paper that was stamped with a government seal.  Steve took it and read the short message:

_The governing council of Hawaii hereby summons all members of the Five-0 Hunter’s Guild to an urgent meeting at Kamekona's Tavern at 1:00 this afternoon.  Attendance is mandatory. Failure to comply will result in prosecution._

Four names were illegibly scribbled at the bottom.

Steve looked up at Danny, who shrugged and pointed to a folded pile of clothes that Steve knew was meant for him.  He groaned and gathered them up, already dreading what was to come.

* * *

 Steve’s first disquieting discovery of the day was that - like television, phones and firearms - vehicles weren’t available.  As one might expect from a world of magical beings, curses and the like, horseback riding, or horse-drawn carriages, served as the primary mode of transportation.  

This inevitably led to the revelation that Steve’s garage no longer housed an old Marquis and worn out car parts.  Instead, it had become a stable that housed two impressive-looking steeds: a grey drum horse, its stall labeled “Silver”, and a black mustang stallion inexplicably named Winifred-2.  

Steve whistled in appreciation as he examined the mustang.  “Nice ride.”

Danny ignored him and went to work getting the stallion saddled and ready.  It didn’t occur to Steve to fit the drum with its gear until Danny was seated atop the sleek, dark horse and smirking down at him.

Steve pouted at the missed chance; Silver was a good-looking animal, but she was no mustang.

He shrugged to himself and found his horse’s riding equipment.  He’d commandeer  Winifred-2 later.

* * *

Kamekona’s Tavern was a combination family restaurant, bar and inn at the heart of Waikiki, not far from where his shrimp truck was typically parked.  

Jerry met them at the door.  “Good morning, boss. I take it you got the message too?”

“Yes,” said Steve.  “But what are you doing here?  I thought you were babysitting our kids?”

“I am.”  Jerry stepped back to give them entry into the spacious tavern.  “Kamekona’s serving them breakfast in the private dining room. You can join them after the meeting with the governors, if you want.”  

He guided them to a door next to the bar.  A plaque above its frame read _Five-0 Hunter’s Guild_.

“We work here?” Steve questioned.

“We’re hunters,” Jerry said.  “We’re out in the field most of the time, but Kamekona provided this as a dedicated meeting place for our clients in exchange for protection and - um - some other work.”

“Ah.”  Steve decided not to ask for more details.  He followed Jerry and Danny into the room.

Despite being relocated from Iolani Palace to Kamekona’s, Five-0’s headquarters remained similar to what Steve was accustomed to in regards to size and general layout.  There were no individual offices, but the team’s desks, chairs and other cabinets were positioned exactly where they would be if the barriers between the rooms had remained.  However, there were no couches, the walls were free of photos and certificates, and where the comm table should have been was an ordinary wooden one, with twelve matching chairs around it.  The table’s surface was already set up for the meeting, with a pitcher of water and glasses at the ready, along with a platter covered with artfully-pastries.

Danny helped himself to a malasada.  Jerry left the room to wait for their guests.

By the time Steve had finished taking it in, Lou, Chin, Abby, Kono, Adam, Junior and Tani had arrived.  Lou looked extremely self-satisfied, and shot Steve a wink, while most of the others looked like they might be suffering from hangovers.  Naturally, the newlyweds looked just as happy as they had at their wedding.

Lou raised his eyebrows at them.  “Hey, what are you two doing here,” he asked.  “Shouldn’t you still be in bed?”

Junior spluttered at the insinuation, but Tani was unfazed.  “We needed a break. Besides, whatever this is must be extremely important if the governors unanimously agreed to hire all of us for a job.”

“Indeed it is.”

The group faced the door.  Jerry re-entered with four individuals dressed in travel clothes: dark tunics, thick leggings, light armor and weather-stained cloaks, the hoods of which were pulled low over their faces.  One of them carried a bundle of papers and parchments, rolled up like scrolls, tucked under his or her arm.

The tallest of them stepped forward and pushed back his hood to reveal Samuel Denning.  He held out his hand to Steve. “Good to see you, McGarrett,” he said as they shook.

“Likewise, uh, Governor,” Steve said, mildly surprised.  The summon they’d received had been from a council, but the signatures had been too messy to decipher, as though they’d been written in haste.  Also, Steve hadn’t gotten around to asking anyone about how this government worked.

Denning gestured to his companions.  “You remember my colleagues, Keiko Mahoe, Pat Jameson and--”

“Uncle Keako!” Kono exclaimed in delight.  She and Chin pushed past Steve to embrace their relative.

Steve swayed a little, unable to completely mask his shock.  He didn’t have a problem with Mahoe, but Pat Jameson, though responsible for the creation of the Five-0 he knew, had been corrupt, not to mention _murdered_ , in Steve’s world.  Yet here she was, alive and well, and, more disturbingly, still in power.

Keako, on the other hand, was a pleasant change.  A former HPD detective, Chin and Kono’s elderly uncle had suffered the loss of his wife Mele and professional disgrace when it was discovered that he’d stolen money from an Asset Forfeiture Locker in an effort to save her (a transgression that Chin had taken the blame for).  Steve had always sympathized with him; if someone he loved, if _Danny_ , ever got sick and was in dire need of illegal services to prolong his life, there wasn’t anything Steve wouldn’t do to make that happen.

Steve slipped his arm around Danny’s waist.  Danny raised an eyebrow in a quiet question, but didn’t push him away.

Life must have been kinder to Keako in _The Land Between_ , giving him an opportunity to advance his career.  And when he moved away from hugging his niece and nephew, Steve got a clearer view of the old man. He looked the same, but the lines of his face were etched with laughter, not grief.  It was heartening to see.

Keako smiled at the assembled hunters.  “Hello, friends. It was been too long since last I saw you.  And I regret that we only seem to get together under disastrous circumstances.”

“And to what _‘disastrous circumstances’_ do we owe this visit?” Adam inquired.

“If we could all sit down,” said Mahoe, waving at the furniture, “we will explain.”

Everyone took a seat around the table, the four governors occupying chairs next to one another on one of the long sides, and the team filling in the rest.  As the leader, Steve sat directly across from them, with Danny and Chin taking the places on either side of him.

Jameson, who had been carrying the bundle of papers, set them down in front of her compatriots.

“This is a serious matter, so we won’t beat around the bush.  We’ve heard about your recent encounter with the hellhounds,” said Denning.  “I take it you noticed the abnormalities in their behavior?”

Everything about the hellhounds was abnormal to Steve, but Kono offered the answer Denning was looking for.

“Hellhounds are nocturnal,” she said.  “It’s very rare to see them out of their dens during the day.  Also, they don’t usually attack people. It’s been known to happen, but they have easier prey.”

“Goblins, right?” recalled Junior.

Denning nodded.  “You are correct.  And I’m afraid to say that your close call is not the first, or even the strangest, news we’ve received of late.”

“What do you mean?” asked Abby.

“Yours was only one of a number of hound attacks on humans, and it wasn’t merely lone travelers who’ve been pursued,” Governor Mahoe said.  “Moreover, their pack sizes seem to be increasing at an alarming rate.”

Chin was not dismayed by that.  “That’s not unheard of. There have been population spikes before.”

“Not like this,” Keako replied.  “And we haven’t even gotten to the odd bit.  Goblins and vulbats have been attacking groups of people as well, en masse WITH hellhounds, almost as though they were working together.”

Steve’s team exchanged wary looks, which he interpreted to mean that this was worrisome.

“How is that possible?” Tani demanded, her features pinched with confusion and disbelief.  “Vulbats feed on hellhounds, and goblins will eat almost anything. All of them are essentially mindless monsters with only the most basic animal instincts.  None of those creatures coexist with each other, let alone cooperate in any fashion. They are enemies in the wild; they’ve never been symbiotic.”

Denning agreed with her summation.  “You see then why there’s cause for alarm.  Due to such unheard of circumstances, we had dispatched soldiers to several known hunting grounds and habitats for these monsters, with instructions to observe their behavior and track pack movements.  Late last night, we received a report from an officer that had been sent to the West Maui Mountains, along with six others. His squad was following a vulbat flock.”

Keako picked up the tale.  “The short version of the story is that they tracked the vulbats to a river gorge near the forest reserve.  The flock roosted there, without incident, among a horde of hellhounds and goblins. When night fell, the creatures departed together, like an army, and began to attack nearby villages.”

“Oh my god,” said Kono.  “Were there any civilian casualties?”  

Mahoe folded her hands and looked at the group, her expression grave.  “The people fought as best as they could with the squad’s aid, but twenty-eight villagers, that we know of, and three of our soldiers were killed by the monsters.”

No one spoke for a long minute, as though they’d unanimously agreed to observe a moment of silence for the fallen.

Then Mahoe continued, “The fighters managed to kill of number of them, but at some point, the horde inexplicably fled, though by all accounts, there were probably enough monsters to slaughter everyone in that small region.  Conservative estimates puts their numbers around five hundred.”

Steve was out of his depth regarding hellhounds, goblins and vulbats - whatever the hell those were - but he was following along and reading the room well enough to understand the severity of the threat.  More importantly, he knew that any enemy, human or otherwise, should press their advantage when they had it. “If that’s true, what stopped them from killing _everyone_?”

“We have obtained information that leads us to believe that they are not acting autonomously,” Keako said.  “We think they are being controlled by a warlock named Wo Fat.”

Steve’s jaw went slack, his lips parting to suck in a sharp gasp.  “Wo Fat?” he repeated, his voice barely audible. “Are you sure?”

Junior and Tani appeared puzzled.  “You know this guy?” Tani asked for both of them.

_Steve writhed in agony when the cattle prod was pressed his skin, electricity coursing through him._

_A shot rang out, and Jenna Kaye collapsed, blood pouring from her wounds and tears streaming down her face._

Steve swallowed and nodded once.  “Yeah. Yeah, I know him.”

He felt the temperature of the room drop, though Danny’s elemental abilities were not to blame.  Steve didn’t realize his hands were shaking under the table until Danny reached over to cover one with his own.  

Danny leaned in and turned his head to whisper in his ear.  “Breathe. Breathe, babe. I’ve got you.”

It took a great deal of effort, but he managed to follow the instruction.  He exhaled the breath he’d been holding and willed his lungs to resume their normal function, using the contact and presence of his partner as an anchor point.  He focused on the warm weight of Danny’s hand, his steady aura, and the light scent of soap that lingered on his body.

Once his heart rate had settled, he turned his hand to lace his fingers with his husband’s to signal that he was okay, though truth be told, he was far from it.  The Wo Fat he had known had been dead for years. He haunted Steve’s nightmares once in a while, but Steve could come down from the panic and be comforted by the knowledge that his nemesis was no more.

Evidently, _The Land Between_ had seen fit to revive the scoundrel, but not the people Steve had loved and lost.

 _‘Fan-fucking-tastic,’_ Steve inwardly griped.

“Governor, what makes you think Wo Fat is behind the monster attacks?” Chin inquired.

Denning turned to Jameson.  “Would you like to field that one?”  His tone made it clear that it wasn’t an option.

A look of deep shame passed across her face.  “I’ve… I’ve had some dealings with him in the past,” she confessed.

Once again, only the newlyweds were taken aback by this news.  Steve didn’t know which events in the Wo Fat saga had come to pass in this life, but enough had occurred that the senior team members were not surprised by the admission.  Perhaps he and his friends had discovered her betrayal earlier here; at the very least, they had obviously learned enough to save her life. Steve sometimes wondered what might have become of her, and Five-0, if they’d exposed her criminal allies and activities near the beginning of their careers.

“There’s no need to go into specifics right now,” Keako told her.  He faced the hunters. “Pat has already disclosed her misdeeds to us.”

Chin scowled at his uncle.  “And yet you’ve allowed her to retain her power.”

“This is neither the time nor the place for that debate,” Keako scolded.  “She serves her purpose, and right now, that includes divulging what she knows about our enemy.”  He motioned for Jameson to go on.

Her countenance steeled, and she said, “Wo Fat is a VERY powerful warlock.  To be honest, I don’t know the extent of his actual abilities. The fear of what he’s rumored to have done is often enough for him to get what he wants.  He is shrewd, manipulative and cruel.”

“We know that already,” Danny growled, startling everyone not only by the words themselves, but by the harsh, clipped tone that colored them.  “Maybe instead of wasting our time, you could tell us something useful, like - oh, I don’t know - how and why he’s involved with this army of monsters, and what you want us to do about it.”

Danny’s hand grew hot in Steve’s grip, and the tips of the longer strands of his hair caught fire.  The governors did not look particularly intimidated by his rising temper; nonetheless, Keako instructed Jameson, “Tell them about the dark spells.”

“Right.”  Jameson cleared her throat.  “Throughout my previous correspondences with Wo Fat, he continually alluded to his interest in and experimentation into dark magic, specifically spells which could be used to enslave others.  Many of those types of spells require broken or shattered hearts as a means to amplify innate power.”

Steve was about to ask her to elaborate, but Lou beat him with a question of his own.

“You think he succeeded?  That he’s found a way to control the hellhounds and whatever else?”

“We believe it’s a strong possibility,” Mahoe replied.  “If such things are possible, then Wo Fat is certainly someone who could achieve it, and these base creatures are more likely to succumb to his will.  However, we do not know his purpose-”

“Nor do we care,” Denning interrupted.  “The bottom line is that he and his monster army must be stopped before more innocent people die.  And that, Mister Williams, is why we have called upon your team.”

Keako pushed his chair back and stood.  He took the largest of the paper rolls, a detailed map of the Hawaiian Islands, and spread it out, using some of the water glasses to pin down the curling edges.

“According to our reports, the hellhounds, goblins and vulbats have returned to the river gorge, and witnesses have seen an individual matching Wo Fat’s description in the area.”  He pointed to the appropriate location on the map. “As we speak, a unit composed of one hundred of our best soldiers are preparing to depart and converge on that location.”

“Why so few?” challenged Jerry.

“More are being sent to safeguard the surviving communities, as well as other potential targets,” Denning answered.  “Those heading to the gorge are the strike force. They may be outnumbered, but they are hardly outmatched. And the primary goal is to eliminate Wo Fat by any means necessary.  With any luck, an attack on his army will draw his attention and force him out into the open. If we destroy him, it won’t be necessary to eradicate the entire horde. They should pose little threat if they are released from his influence.”

Mahoe waved to the team.  “That’s where you come in.  We’d like to hire you to accompany our officers, support them as they thin the horde and, when the opportunity presents itself, assassinate Wo Fat.”

She produced a folded piece of official stationery and slid it across the table towards Steve.  “This is the contract. We are prepared to offer you the sum indicated therein for your services.  We will also pay for your travel, equipment and any other additional expenses you may incur as a result of this mission.”

Steve passed it over to Chin without looking at it.  His jaw tightened as his mind raced with thoughts of vengeance.  “We’ll do it.” He didn’t much care what they wanted to pay them; he’d see to it that Wo Fat was eradicated from this, and any other world he might find himself, no matter the cost.  

Danny leaned forward enough to exchange a pointed look with Chin.  He nodded at Danny’s unspoken request.

Danny stood and tugged Steve up with him.  He inclined his head to the governors and dragged Steve towards the exit.

“Hey, where are you going?” Jameson objected.

“McGarrett and Williams have other matters to attend to,” Chin said.  “Now, let’s discuss the supplies we’ll need…”

Steve didn’t hear the rest.  Danny led him out of their meeting room, through the main dining area, and down a hallway, at the end of which was a door.  Familiar voices and high-pitched laughter could be heard coming from the room beyond it.

Danny opened the door, and Steve saw him grin at the site that greeted them.  The Five-0 children, Nahele, Grace and Charlie Williams-McGarrett, Sara Diaz, and Samantha and Will Grover were having a food fight with Kamekona and Flippa.  Kamekona didn’t look too thrilled about it; he could be a stickler about the cleanliness of his business, but he threw pancakes scraps at the kids anyway (even as he tried to wipe the table with a soapy rag).

“Danno!”  Charlie dropped a handful of boiled egg “grenades” and ran to his father.  

The rest of them wordlessly called a truce and temporary ceasefire.

Danny caught his son in his arms and lifted him up.  He kissed the boy’s syrup-covered cheek, and then passed him to Steve.

“Daddy!” Charlie greeted.  He wrapped his little arms around Steve’s neck.

Steve shifted the boy on to his hip.  “Hey, buddy. Looks like you’ve been having fun with Uncle Kamekona.”

Charlie bobbed his head enthusiastically, which sent a small cloud of flour into the air.

While everyone else in the room began to clean up, Nahele and Grace approached and let Danny pull them against his sides, an arm around their shoulders.  Then he glared at Steve in reprimand.

It took him a few minutes to decipher Danny’s nudges and nods, but eventually he got there.  

Danny knew that Steve would do everything in his power to end Wo Fat, including sacrifice his life, if that’s what it took.  But, as Danny pointed out the other day, he had a family, always had one really, who needed him. He had to protect them of course, but he couldn’t let his hatred for his old enemy cloud his judgement, make him careless or overly reckless.  He had a team for a reason; they’d take Wo Fat down together, and in doing so, increase the probability that they’d all return home to the ones they loved.

Steve looked at each of his kids, then at Danny.  He pushed away the mental image of Wo Fat, and the pain and contempt that came with thoughts of the man, and replaced it with this moment, of sticky smiles and blue eyes.

He allowed the knot of angry tension in his body to unwind, and he nodded to his partner in a silent promise.


End file.
